A struggling economy and job market in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic has left the youth despondent that they will find employment after school or university. Learners with disabilities have an even tougher time finding employment. Although many companies do offer disability learnerships, most fail to utilise these opportunities to their full potential, using them instead to boost their BEE scorecard without considering the personal impacts that such learnerships can have on individuals with disabilities.

For business leaders, this tick-box, short-sighted approach needs to shift to facilitate greater inclusion for the workforce. Learnerships are the perfect platform for the youth to gain valuable workplace experience while earning a living wage and opening the door to further skills development possibilities. Programmes specifically designed to include the disabled workforce could be the path to unlocking even greater business value...