The campaign allows employers to understand the commercial benefits of doing so and think differently about who they recruit.

Just 7% of people with a learning disability are in paid employment.

The Social Market Foundation estimates that raising disability employment to the national average would boos the UK economy by at least £13 billion. People with a disability have been proven to have low sickness rates and higher job satisfaction levels.

Employing a person with a learning disability has been shown to offer a potential saving of £2,000, based on absence cover and recruitment costs.

Despite this only 7% of people with a disability are currently working in paid employment.  This is lower than the UK’s unemployment rate of 8% according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

Since last year’s successful Learning Disabilities Work Experience Week a range of new companies have signed up to the 2014 event, which runs from 10 – 16 November.

Richard McKenna of Inclusive Employers said:

Developing an inclusive and rewarding environment for all individuals is at the heart of everything we do. Inclusive Employers initiatives such as Learning Disabilities Work Experience Week allows us to make companies aware of the social and commercial benefit of employing people with a disability, and gives our members new perspectives on inclusion and opportunities to harness different talent. Working with Mencap has allowed us to create workplace cultures where all people are valued equally and where all people can add value.

We were delighted that Learning Disability Work Experience Week 2013 was so successful and we hope this yr will have greater impact.

Mark Capper, Business Development Manager, at Mencap said:

With only 7% of people with a learning disability in paid work, more must be done to help increase opportunities to develop work skills and aid with the progression into employment.People with a learning disability have an equal right to work as anyone else. The companies we have worked with realise this and are also beginning to realise that offering work placements to people with a learning disability does not only help the individual, but can be profitable for their business as well.

Last year saw the first ever Learning Disabilities Work Experience Week which saw the likes of McDonald’s, the House of Commons, South West Trains, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Strudel Design and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service all receive industry awards in recognition of their inclusive employment strategies, and this year a new host of companies have signed up to the campaign.

After last year’s successful Learning Disabilities Work Experience Week a new host of companies seen the benefits of adopting an inclusive employment strategy and have signed up to the campaign.

Anna Chapman, at Land Securities said:

We are very pleased to be offering placements during Work Experience Week as part of our partnership with Mencap and Enable Scotland. We are also thrilled that our supply chain partners are so keen to be involved too. Helping disadvantaged people into jobs not only helps the communities in which we operate, but also creates a more diverse, representative workforce which can serve our customers better.

Sharon Pegg Engagement and Diversity Manager at the Co-operative Group said:

The Co-operative Group understand that to offer fair and equal opportunities for all the community is serves, at times we have to do something a little bit special, working together with Mencap and Inclusive Employers allows us to share our experience and knowledge directly with individuals. Making an impact that can help to change people’s lives and champion a different way of thinking.

Terry Eagle, a franchise holder at McDonalds said:

Work experience is a great way for people to build confidence and get a taste of what working life is like. I currently employ more than 480 people across six restaurants in the South London area and our restaurants offer jobs with a culture of flexibility, opportunity, equality and development. Our customers come from all walks of life and it’s important to us that our employees do too. Providing equal opportunities for people from all backgrounds is key to our company ethos.

Andy, who has a learning disability and lives with his mum, Sheila, benefited from Mencap support to get his first job.

Andy’s mum, Sheila, recalls:

He was out of work for nearly four years; it was terrible. He was getting more and more depressed – some days he couldn’t even get out of bed. He was failing to receive the support he needed despite me keep telling employers about his learning disability.

Luckily Sheila remembered Mencap had helped Andy get his first job and she supported him to get back in touch:

It was such a relief to have someone finally listening. The change in Andy was almost instant. One minute he was a man with no hope, the next he was full of hope.

-ENDS-

For further information or to arrange interviews with people with a learning disability who have benefited from work experience or employers, please contact the Mencap press office on 020 7696 5414 or media@mencap.org.uk.

Notes to editors

About Inclusive Employers

Inclusive Employers is a membership organisation which, through campaigns, initiatives, training and consultancy helps employers develop an inclusive workplace, avoid the pitfalls of discrimination and maximize the potential of all employees in order be more successful.

About Mencap

There are 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK.

Mencap works to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers by fighting to change laws, improve services and access to education, employment and leisure facilities.

Mencap supports thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.

For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap Direct on 0808 808 1111 (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) or email help@mencap.org.uk.

What is a learning disability?

A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which can cause problems with everyday tasks – for example shopping and cooking, or travelling to new places – which affects someone for their whole life.

People with a learning disability can take longer to learn new things and may need support to develop new skills, understand difficult information and engage with other people. The level of support someone needs is different with every individual. For example, someone with a severe learning disability might need much more support with daily tasks than someone with a mild learning disability.

Learning disability is not a mental illness or a learning difficulty. Very often the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used interchangeably with ‘learning disability’.