Business Disability Forum announce 2016 conference: recruiting and retaining disabled employees sponsored by Microlink
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 15 February 2016
London, UK - Business Disability Forum (BDF) is pleased to announce that the registration for its 2016 conference is now open.
Focusing on recruitment and retention of disabled employees, the conference will take place at the Royal College of Nursing on Wednesday, 20 April 2016.
The event will feature presentations from disability thought leaders, expert-led workshops and specialist speakers from the recruitment and employee development industry. Furthermore, BDF is delighted to announce that the Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson will be opening the event and welcoming delegates from throughout BDF’s membership organisations.
The conference is announced following the release of BDF’s 2015 ‘State of the Nation’ report on the retention and development of employees with disabilities’ (supported by EY, Royal Mail, Lloyds Banking Group, Department for Work and Pensions, Equal Approach, de Poel Community and Remploy Employment Services). The research makes clear the specific actions any employer - no matter what sector or what size - can take to recruit, retain and develop their employees with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
Key findings from the reports have revealed that the three main barriers to the retention of disabled employees are:
- Insufficiently skilled and confident line managers (53%).
- Insufficient targeted development opportunities (33%).
- Not enough awareness or visibility of disability in the workplace (40%).
The conference will provide delegates with practical guidance from organisations that have implemented successful approaches as well as first hand experiences from disabled employees. There will also be opportunities to network and share disability best practice with fellow professionals from throughout the recruitment, human resources and performance management industry.
The 2016 BDF conference is generously sponsored by Microlink. Microlink is a long-standing partner of BDF, and a pioneer in developing innovative solutions to help people with disabilities to succeed in education and employment. Over the last 25 years, the company has provided advice, assistance and equipment to hundreds of thousands of disabled people.
Speaking about the upcoming conference, Dr Nasser Siabi OBE, Chief Executive of Microlink, said:
“With the right systems, training and technologies in place, organisations can assist every employee to realise their full potential – improving both the lives of their staff, and their own efficiency and effectiveness. The delegates attending this conference are at the forefront of this win-win agenda, and Microlink is proud to be a part of the conversation.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
- Business Disability Forum is a not-for-profit business consortium that represents some 300 organisations that employ 20% of the UK workforce. We have more than twenty years’ experience of working with public and private sector employers and service providers. For more information about the Forum please visit: http://businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/about-us
- For media/ journalist enquiries and to organise press interviews with guest speakers during the conference, please contact Emily Jackson, Press Officer on emilyj@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk or call 020-7403-3020.
- Microlink are the leaders in the field of Assistive Technology and have enabled over a quarter of a million people with health conditions to succeed in education and employment. Microlink consults at government level, wins numerous awards for its dedication, and sources the latest technology to deliver a service to their customers that’s second to none. For more information about Microlink, visit: http://www.microlinkpc.com/
- To download a copy of the ‘State of the Nation’ Retaining and developing employees with disabilities – Stage 1 report, visit: http://businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/about-us/news/state-of-the-nation-report-retaining-and-developing-employees-with-disabilities/
- To download a copy of: State of the Nation: Retaining and developing employees with disabilities – Stage 2 report, visit: http://www.businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/about-us/news/press-release-new-research-cites-workplace-adjustments-and-organisational-values-as-biggest-aids-to-retention-of-disable/
Emily Jackson - Press Officer
Email: emilyj@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk | Phone: 020 7089 2404
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