Foundation seeks to enable inclusion through employment

Close to 350 persons with disability are being pushed towards a more independent living by helping match their skills with a prospective employer.

The Lino Spiteri Foundation was set up as a Public Social Partnership between the Employment & Training Corporation and the Empower Coop Ltd.

The foundation offer trainees an opportunity to get used to a working environment, helping them to develop their skills with the aim of moving on to a more permanent place of work.

Visiting the foundation’s premises in Msida, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said this period of transition would help persons with disability seek a more independent life.

“Coupled with the homes we are opening in our communities, this ensures a more independent living,” Muscat said.

He added that such initiatives promoted dignity: “This is not a charity case. We believe in everyone’s contribution.”

The foundation matches the trainees’ skills and capabilities with the requirements of different employers.

“Our scope is to bridge the individual and employer together,” executive director Nathan Farrugia said.

Employment Minister Evarist Bartolo said that his biggest satisfaction was in seeing renewed enthusiasm in individuals who had given up on ever joining the workforce.