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ENBD launches cognitive disabilities awareness drive

DUBAI, November 2, 2016

Emirates NBD, one of the leading banking groups in the region, has launched ‘The Careers Network,’ an initiative to drive workplace inclusion for people with cognitive disabilities in the UAE.

Under its flagship #TogetherLimitless advocacy platform, the bank seeks to help people with cognitive disabilities find private or public sector employment and further their full inclusion into society.

The programme will also assist partners in the private sector with the selection, hiring and training of potential employees, said a statement from ENBD.

In collaboration with its strategic partners, the Community Development Authority, Manzil, and Sustainable Square, the Careers Network will enlist work-ready individuals from pre-existing work-training programs from centers, organisations, and schools, and aid them in taking on long-term employment positions with the programme’s corporate partners in the public and private sector.

The process will include building a database of potential candidates, interviewing and assessing their readiness, assisting them in the placement process and shadowing them in the first months of their employment to ensure complete workplace integration and onboarding.

The launch was announced at the third edition of the #TogetherLimitless panel discussion where Dr Sheikha Alya Al Qassimi, the acting CEO of Social Care & Development Sector, Community Development Authority (CDA); Majid Abdulla Al Usaimi, the executive director for Dubai Club for the Disabled; Ahmed Altarawneh, the senior customer care specialist, Road Transport Authority (RTA); Maryam Bahlooq, executive vice president of Human Resources, Emirates NBD; and Reem Al Ghaith, General Manager, Enable and CSR Manager, Desert Group probed into the challenges that people with disabilities face while seeking employment and discussed potential solutions for these obstacles.

Opening the event with a welcome note, Husam Al Sayed, the group chief human resource officer at Emirates NBD, said: "As the largest bank in the UAE, we are setting an example by action. The careers network has come to realisation after several months of long, hard work by Emirates NBD and its strategic partners, to offer people with cognitive disabilities across the UAE an opportunity that most of us take for granted - the opportunity to work and contribute to society."

"We hope the Careers Network will receive active support and participation by the public and private sector in the coming months," he stated.

During the course of the discussion, Dr Al Qassimi said: "Moving towards a right-based approach for the employment of people with disabilities demands collaborative effort among all sectors, public, private and NGOs to ensure equity, accommodations and accessibility measures."

"The UAE has a clear legal framework to help achieve this target as detailed in Dubai Disability Strategy 2020," he added.

Majid Abdulla Al Usaimi, the executive director for Dubai Club for the Disabled, said: "The importance of bringing together government and private institutions to further the empowerment of people with disabilities in the UAE cannot be understated."

"An initiative of this stature by Emirates NBD will truly bring about a sustainable change in the mindsets and attitudes of employers towards people with disabilities. We look forward to working with The Careers Network to help transform the UAE workforce into a truly inclusive one," he added.-TradeArabia News Service




Tags: initiative | ENBD | cognitive disabilities |

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