Training specialist joins national disability initiative

A north west training specialist has been accepted onto a major national programme to benefit disabled people or those with long-term health conditions in the workplace.

PHX Training, based in Preston, is dedicated to the Disability Confident scheme to positively change attitudes, behaviours and standards towards hiring individuals who may find it difficult to secure work due to health-related issues.

The scheme has three levels that assist employers at each stage; Disability Confident Committed, Disability Confident Employer and Disability Confident Leader. Each have different requirements which employers must meet over a number of years to qualify with the aim that each step will prepare them for an inclusive workforce.

Briony Fawcett, operations director at PHX Training said: “Being a Disability Confident Employer supports our priority to proactively offer employment opportunities to disabled people and those suffering with long term health conditions.

“This platform also enables us to gain government support to make reasonable adjustments as required for current employees to enable them to stay in work which is so important.”

A recent government report found that in the UK an unpresidented 75 per cent of individuals without disabilities are currently in employment compared to around only half of disabled people.

The Disability Confident scheme has been running since November 2016 and has helped more than 5,000 companies in the UK.

The PHX team of qualified trainers delivers a diverse range of resources including offline, online and face-to-face services at eight training centres in Barrow, Blackpool, Carlisle, Morecambe, Preston, Workington, Cleator Moor and Southport.