Trade fairs as meeting places
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Article sourced from: https://www.manageritalia.it/it/lavoro/offerte-lavoro-disabili-diversity-day-universita-cattolica-di-milano
How many prejudices still need to be overcome in the world of work when it comes to disability? Laws certainly help, including in our country, yet there is a cultural issue that cannot be underestimated and much still remains to be done, despite some positive signs.
In Italy there are approximately 4,360,000 people with disabilities, accounting for 7.2 % of the population, and according to certain studies this figure will rise to 6.7 million by 2040. Among people with disabilities, only 16 % are employed (around 300,000 individuals). As many as 80 % of young people leaving school fail to find a job.
Promoted by Jobmetoo, Value People and Cesop HR Consulting Company, in partnership with the Università Cattolica and Linkmetoo, the “Diversity Day” held on 5 June focused on how to foster the empowerment of people with disabilities and the importance of their training for entering the labour market, while providing information on the tools available to companies for complying with Law 68/99.
Università Cattolica pays special attention to inclusion processes, as evidenced by its Disability Service, operational since 2001. Since its launch, the service has supported nearly 1,400 students per year (out of 14,649 across the country, equivalent to 10.2 students per thousand inhabitants). Also noteworthy is its advanced‑training course “Disability Manager”, Italy’s first such programme, launched by the university back in 2006. It delivers the skills required for the proper workplace integration of people with disabilities and enables the validation of expertise for professionals managing these human‑resource profiles.
The event opened with a round‑table discussion featuring Luigi D’Alonzo, Rector’s Delegate for the integration of students with disabilities and specific learning disorders (DSA) at Università Cattolica; Daniele Regolo, founder of Jobmetoo; Silvia Stefanovichj, National Disability and Work‑Life‑Balance Manager at CISL; Joshua Paveri, Sales & Marketing at Jobmetoo; Luca Guazzabocca from Right Hub; Simona Torre, Secretary of the Italian Accenture Foundation; Franco Lisi, Director of the Milan Institute for the Blind Foundation; and Riccardo Taverna, Director of Civil Economy & Sustainability at Aida Partners.
The debate painted a mixed picture of positives and shortcomings. As D’Alonzo pointed out, on the one hand our country has had the courage to enact progressive laws; on the other hand, we still need to uphold the value of human dignity: “disability in the workplace” often exists only in other people’s perceptions. Essentially, we cannot accept the idea that a company hires a person with a disability merely to meet hiring quotas, but rather because this brings real added value.
New ideas and scalable innovative initiatives are needed to improve inclusion, such as those recognised by the Accenture Foundation, and technology represents a major asset in this respect.
The discussion highlighted that disability is less a fixed condition than a dynamic construct, merely one dimension among many that define a person. Companies must take the lead, first and foremost by ensuring workplace safety, while recognising that hiring workers with disabilities undoubtedly represents an opportunity to engage new talent.
This was followed by two workshops. The first, entitled “Disability Manager and Labour‑Market Integration”, featured Professor Adriano Pessina, Scientific Director of the Advanced Training Course in Disability Manager and the Labour Market at Università Cattolica; Dr Consuelo Battisteri, Disability Manager and Diversity Engagement Partner at IBM Italy; and Domenico Bodega, Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Università Cattolica. The second workshop, titled “Career guidance for students with disabilities: processes and the roles of family and university”, brought together Francesco Maria Cusaro, HR Group Director at TXT E‑Solutions; Dr Debora Ranza, Internship & Placement Officer at Università Cattolica; and Dr Fabrizio Cappelletti, Coordinator of Support Services for students with disabilities and specific learning disorders (DSA) at Università Cattolica.
The stands set up in the university’s honour courtyard welcomed participants’ information requests and CVs, creating opportunities for dialogue and exchange.
What do we all hope for? That events such as this will no longer be necessary in the years ahead, and that we will simply speak of Career Day.
