Emirates NBD launches 'The Careers Network' for People with Cognitive Disabilities

3 Min | 02 November 2016

Emirates NBD, one of the leading banking Groups in the region, today launched 'The Careers Network,' an initiative to drive workplace inclusion for people with cognitive disabilities in the UAE.

Bank advocates workplace inclusion for individuals with disabilities under #TogetherLimitless platform
Introduces a comprehensive inclusion programme to secure employment opportunities for people with cognitive disabilities

Dubai, 2 November, 2016: Emirates NBD, one of the leading banking Groups in the region, today launched ‘The Careers Network,’ an initiative to drive workplace inclusion for people with cognitive disabilities in the UAE. Under its flagship #TogetherLimitless advocacy platform, the bank seeks to help people with cognitive disabilities find private or public sector employment and further their full inclusion into society. The programme will also assist partners in the private sector with the selection, hiring and training of potential employees.

In collaboration with its strategic partners, the Community Development Authority, Manzil, and Sustainable Square, the Careers Network will enlist work-ready individuals from pre-existing work-training programs from centers, organisations, and schools, and aid them in taking on long-term employment positions with the programme’s corporate partners in the public and private sector. The process will include building a database of potential candidates, interviewing and assessing their readiness, assisting them in the placement process and shadowing them in the first months of their employment to ensure complete workplace integration and onboarding.

The launch was announced at the third edition of the #TogetherLimitless panel discussion where Dr. Sheikha Alya Al Qassimi, Acting CEO of Social Care & Development Sector, Community Development Authority (CDA); Majid Abdulla Al Usaimi, Executive Director for Dubai Club for the Disabled; Ahmed Altarawneh, Senior Customer Care Specialist, Road Transport Authority (RTA); Maryam Bahlooq, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Emirates NBD; and Reem Al Ghaith, General Manager, ENABLE and CSR Manager, Desert Group probed into the challenges that people with disabilities face while seeking employment and discussed potential solutions for these obstacles.

Opening the event with a welcome note, Husam Al Sayed, Group Chief Human Resource Officer at Emirates NBD said: “As the largest bank in the UAE, we are setting an example by action. The Careers Network has come to realisation after several months of long, hard work by Emirates NBD and its strategic partners, to offer people with cognitive disabilities across the UAE an opportunity that most of us take for granted - the opportunity to work and contribute to society. We hope the Careers Network will receive active support and participation by the public and private sector in the coming months.”

During the course of the discussion, Dr. Sheikha Alya Al Qassimi, Director of Disability Department, Community Development Authority (CDA) noted, “Moving towards a right-based approach for the employment of people with disabilities demands collaborative effort among all sectors, public, private and NGOs to ensure equity, accommodations and accessibility measures. The UAE has a clear legal framework to help achieve this target as detailed in Dubai Disability Strategy 2020.”

Majid Abdulla Al Usaimi, Executive Director for Dubai Club for the Disabled said: “The importance of bringing together government and private institutions to further the empowerment of people with disabilities in the UAE cannot be understated. An initiative of this stature by Emirates NBD will truly bring about a sustainable change in the mindsets and attitudes of employers towards people with disabilities. We look forward to working with The Careers Network to help transform the UAE workforce into a truly inclusive one.”

Emirates NBD’s commitment to people with disabilities supports the ‘#MyCommunity’ initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council that aims to transform Dubai to a disability-friendly city by 2020. Under #TogetherLimitless, its flagship advocacy program, the bank is collaborating with partners in the public and private sector towards the sustainable long-term improvement and integration of people with disabilities into the community. Since its launch a year ago, #TogetherLimitless has undertaken several key initiatives including opening disability-friendly bank branches in Jumeirah, Emirates Towers, Rashidiya and Hamriya, and promoting financial inclusion by offering Sanad card holders (privilege access card developed by CDA for people with disabilities) the Emirates NBD ‘Beyond from Personal Banking’ package, exempt of minimum salary as well as publishing a research report on the banking and financial habits and attitudes of people with disabilities in the UAE.

The advocacy platform won the Arabia CSR Awards in the Partnerships and Collaborations category in 2015 for its strategic partnership with Manzil’s PRIDE (People Receiving Independence and Dignity through Empowerment) programme. The launch of The Careers Network comes after two successful editions of the platform’s panel discussions focusing on educational and financial inclusion. By catering to each aspect of an individual’s life, #TogetherLimitless aims to further inclusion for people with disabilities on a holistic level.

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