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Question Time
SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Enterprise, Lifelong Learning and Transport
People with a Learning Disability (Employment)
To ask the Scottish
Executive what progress it is making in
implementing "Working for a change?" to help people with a learning
disability to access employment. (S2O-7101)
Jackie
Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is
making in implementing "Working for a change?" to help people with a
learning disability to access employment. (S2O-7101)
The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Allan Wilson): One
of the recommendations of "Working for a change?" was for a programme of
research to inform policy on the employment of people with learning
disabilities. This week we published the report "'Go for it!': Supporting
people with learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorder in
employment", which highlights a number of ways that employment opportunities
can be improved. We are also developing an employability framework, to bring
together and drive forward the work that the Executive and the United
Kingdom Government do to help disadvantaged people to move into employment.
We hope to publish the framework later in the summer. The interests of
people with learning disabilities have been represented in that work by
Enable Scotland and the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability.
Jackie Baillie: "Working for a change?" was completed in 2003 and made 10
recommendations about improving access to employment for people with
learning disabilities, one of which charged ministers in the Scottish
Executive Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department with
chairing a national steering group to push forward implementation. Although
I am aware that the minister is developing an employability strategy, which
might encompass some of the report's recommendations, I am keen that he
should ensure that the recommendations are fully implemented. Will he give a
commitment to do that?
Allan Wilson: I am pleased to give that commitment. We determined that the
framework for employability that we are developing would apply to all client
groups, rather than focus specifically on learning disabilities, so that it
can be the most appropriate vehicle for influencing change. However, as we
develop the framework we will consider all the recommendations in "Working
for a change?" and incorporate them into the framework so that it addresses
the particular needs of people with learning disabilities.
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): The minister mentioned
autistic spectrum disorder. Is he aware that employment rates among people
who have autism are particularly low and that only 6 per cent of such people
are in full-time
paid employment? Will he give more detail about how the work that he
mentioned might promote employment opportunities for people with ASD in
Scotland? Will he give a commitment to discuss the matter with the National
Autistic Society Scotland, which has been researching the subject?
Allan Wilson: I would be pleased to discuss the employability framework with
the National Autistic Society Scotland and any of our partners. We work with
a range of organisations at national and local level to provide appropriate
interventions to
enable individuals, including those who are most excluded from the labour
market, to develop their skills to get into work.
The framework will tie into other work that the Executive is doing to ensure
that the right arrangements are in place across the board to close the
opportunity gap in employment.
To read
the official report,
Click Here
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