The Ability Industrial Job Creation Centre provides real-world skills training and income-generating work opportunities for people with disabilities in an accessible, accommodating environment.
This centre secures contract work from local companies which is generally labour intensive and includes bulk posting, packaging, and assembling of components to mention but a few.
The centre serves two purposes:
- To act as a “stepping stone” for persons with disabilities who are capable of being up-skilled and eager to grow. These people receive training and then move into our Ability Wear Job Creation Centre.
- It also caters for people who have lesser capabilities who are happy to come to a supportive, enabling work environment every day (e.g. persons with moderate intellectual disabilities).
Currently we have approximately 60 people with disabilities working in our Ability Industrial Job Creation Centre.
WHY SUPPORT THE ABILITY INDUSTRIAL JOB CREATION CENTRE?
The Ability Industrial Job Creation Centre plays a key role in addressing the huge challenge of unemployment amongst people with disabilities from impoverished communities in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Due to a number of environmental and social barriers the majority of our people working in the centre have no job alternatives in the open labour market.
The sad reality is if we had to close the Ability Industrial Job Creation Centre, most of our people would end up at home and unemployed.
The majority of our people come from poor and vulnerable communities. To supplement their income earned at the centre, we provide a monthly transport subsidy and a basic daily meal to ensure our people can work productively and to the best of their abilities.
OUR GOALS:
- The Ability Industrial Job Creation Centre’s primary goal is to help people with disabilities become financially secure and to assist them achieve their maximum level of independence. This we do by providing basic skills training and employment opportunities in the centre.
- Financial security leads to a significant improvement in the quality of life of our people. They are then in a position to effect positive change and improve the socio-economic conditions of their family members, and, in time, their communities.
- We would like to significantly extend the centre’s skills training and employment services to unreached people with disabilities and their communities in Nelson Mandela Bay.
- We are currently limited in our ability to do so by spatial and financial constraints.
BUDGET:
The annual deficit for this centre for the 2013-2014 financial year was R132 366.00.
We receive very little funding from government. We currently cover the centre’s monthly shortfall with various fundraising initiatives.
Our long-term goal for the centre is financial self-sustainability. Once self-sustainability is achieved, we will have the freedom to focus on developing and implementing strategic growth plans to maximize the centre’s future reach, efficiency and life-changing services.
UPHOLSTERY WORKSHOP:
We are contracted to maintain all the upholstery work for the entire fleet of 400+ buses of the Algoa Bus Company.
SOME OF THE WORK DONE IN THE CENTRE:
For any queries or further information please feel free to contact Patricia Bruiners (Ability Industrial Manager)
Tel: (041) 484 5426
Email: patricia.bruiners@apdnmb.org.za