DWDE HOSTS PROTECTIVE WORKSHOP MANAGERS FORUM SUMMIT IN CAPE TOWN

Efforts to increase employment of people with disabilities are immensely important, but they need to include initiatives to improve the sustainability of Protective Workshops where thousands of Persons with Disabilities are involved in job creation, training and income generating projects. To accelerate the wheel of inclusion, it is vital that we ensure that “no one is left behind” and develop solutions to address the viability of these community based organizations. Corporate commitment to disability inclusion during and after the COVID-19 pandemic must be expanded to go beyond traditional disability employment and include enterprise development – and supplier development initiatives.

On Thursday, 25 February 2021, Disability Workshop Development Enterprise (DWDE), will host the Protective Workshop Managers Forum Summit at the Park Inn, Newlands, Cape Town and on Zoom for those not wanting face to face meetings, under the theme “Empower, Equip, Engage” funded by the Western Cape Department of Social Development.

The keynote address will be delivered by Manthipi Molamu, National Director of Social Development. The Summit aims to provide an opportunity for Protective Workshops’ top management, clients, business and funders to discuss topics that impact these organisations.Topics include: Future Outlook for Protective Workshops, Enterprise Development, Business Development, Institutional Compliance and Training and Capacity Building. Speakers are drawn from the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Chamber of Commerce, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Plastics SA, to name a few.

“DWDE is the umbrella body for 47 Protective Workshops in the Western Cape. Some are as far afield as Beaufort West, Drakenstein, Atlantis as well as those nearer to Cape Town in Retreat, Khayelitsha and Gardens. They provide care, training and income generation projects for thousands of People with Disabilities. This income enables them to supplement their basic grant and improve the quality of life for their families There are a vast range of skills and products from craft items to furniture and basket weaving. The Protective Workshops are based in the communities they serve and provide care and support to these communities”, says Undere Deglon, Chief Executive Officer, DWDE. “We actively pursue placement for our candidates, providing onsite training and ensuring that both the employee and employer is supported through the placement period. We invite companies to engage with us to ensure that people with disabilities are included in their workforce and further become part of their supplier base”