Over 50 companies are expected to participate in a special career day to showcase job opportunities for disabled students on Jan. 28. The one-day event is being organized by the Disabled Children's Association, under the patronage of the Jeddah Chamber for Commerce and Industry (JCCI), and the Human Resource Development Fund. It aims to match disabled people, many of them university graduates, with available jobs at these companies. The students will be able to present their CVs to company representatives at the event. Dr. Uthman Abdo Hashem, the Director of the Disabled Children's Association, said that invitations for the event have gone out to private and government-owned companies, and private training institutions. All disabled people and their families are welcome, he said. According to Hashem, company representatives will have the opportunity to interview disabled graduates, and to provide details on available jobs and salaries. Hashem said he could not yet confirm how many students would participate in the event. However, all graduates, from colleges, universities, and high schools will be able to access the companies. “Being a graduate from university or college will help the disabled find more opportunities. But the companies have realized the difficulties disabled people face in completing higher studies, so they will also offer jobs to those who have graduated from high schools,” said Samr Hanifa, the event organizer. “This event will be held throughout the year. We will organize six meetings for male disabled employees, and three meetings for female employees,” she said. According to Hanifa, the available job opportunities include secretarial, reception, accountancy, translation and manual work at factories. Hanifa said that the hiring of disabled people has become a priority, after a decision was taken by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry that requires all companies to have disabled people on their payroll. It also forms part of plans to help boost Saudization in both the private and government sector. Recently the commerce minister, Dr. Abdullah Bin Ahmad Zainal Alireza, said that “the recruitment of one disabled person is equivalent to the recruitment of four persons without disabilities”. Hanifa said that in the past it was difficult to hire disabled people, but this situation has changed with the decision of the ministry.
