The two-day summit which taking place on Tuesday, 11 August and Wednesday 12 August, has aimed to create a platform for students to engage directly with more than 40 leading corporate organisations, explore career opportunities, gain valuable workplace insights and establish connections that could lead to internships, learnerships and permanent employment, says the summit.
 
Designed to bridge the gap between education and employment, the summit says it's focused on preparing young people with disabilities for the world of work while encouraging employers to recognise the immense talent, resilience and diverse perspectives that persons with disabilities bring to the workplace.
 
The event is sponsored by Sanlam, commited to diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity, aims to reflect its belief that South Africa's future workforce must be representative of all its people, says the summit.
 
"At Sanlam, we believe that talent knows no barriers. We are proud to support initiatives that create meaningful pathways into employment for persons with disabilities and help build workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. 'Great People, Great Place, Greater Growth' is our commitment to creating opportunities for people to realise their potential," says Sana-Ullah Bray, Group Executive of Human Capital at Sanlam.

"By investing in young people, embracing diversity and creating inclusive opportunities, we not only change lives, but we also strengthen our organisation and contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous South Africa," adds Bray.
 
The first day of the programme saw students meet event partners — Sanlam, L'Oreal South Africa, Public Investment Corporation, Airports Company South Africa, Buhler Group and a wide range of other corporates, as well as recruiters, human resource professionals and business leaders, says the summit.

Interactive employer exhibitions, workplace readiness activities, career guidance sessions and networking opportunities also aimed to deliver practical knowledge to help students transition confidently from education into employment, adds the summit.
 
The summit aimed to provide participating companies with valuable insights into inclusive recruitment practices while identifying talented graduates for future opportunities. By engaging directly with students, employers aimed to demonstrate their commitment to building accessible and inclusive workplaces that recognise ability before disability.

The Disability Workplace Readiness Summit concludes that it continues its aim to reduce employment barriers and forge lasting relationships between education, business and opportunity

For more information, visit www.sanlam.co.za. You can also follow Sanlam on Facebook, or on X.

*Image courtesy of contributor