The “Jobs and Skills for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) with Focus on ICT-Based Solutions” project, implemented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), has been selected as a Champion Project in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2022, Category 11 — AL C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-employment.
The project beat out 966 international projects, 360 of which made it to the final list, leaving only five Champion Projects in each category of the contest.
The “Jobs and Skills for PwDs with Focus on ICT-Based Solutions” project is implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), and is funded by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The project seeks to create an enabling environment for PwDs to participate effectively in developing their society. The project follows a multifaceted approach for the full inclusion of PwDs in the job market.
On one level, the project promotes rehabilitation and employment services through providing job training, counseling, job search assistance, and placement, thus contributing to building the capacities of PwDs to facilitate their inclusion in the labor market. On another level, the project created an e-employment platform for PwDs, namely the National Network for PWD Services – Taheel. The platform was launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Solidarity. It is a one-stop-shop for all stakeholders to market their services, enhance PwDs skills and increase their employability and business opportunities. The platform, also, supports the inclusion of PwDs in the private labor market using ICT solutions.
Moreover, the project contributes to building a just society that ensures equal rights and provides economic, social, and political opportunities especially for the underprivileged groups. This comes as part of MCIT strategy for achieving digital transformation with the aim to build an inclusive society and support PwDs by creating applications that facilitate their day-to-day activities.
The project supports the idea of mutual responsibility in achieving objectives through enhancing coordination among stakeholders: government agencies, civil society and the private sector, as well as PwDs, where the needs and experiences of PwDs are taken into consideration in all the project's implementation phases.
Furthermore, the project involves several workshops for training PwDs to use the platform to ensure its sustainability. It helps promote gender equality by providing access to ICT-based training and employment opportunities, in addition to cooperating with MCIT women-focused initiatives such as Qodwa-Tech. The aim is to upskill women with disabilities through training courses to help them find freelancing jobs.
For information on the “Jobs and Skills for PwDs with Focus on ICT-Based Solutions” project, kindly click here.
