Inclusive Employment Officer – Light for the World
Human Resource and Recruitment, Management, Social Sciences and Community
Light for the World
LIGTH FOR THE WORLD is a European confederation of international development NGOs engaged in eye health care services, community based rehabilitation, disability mainstreaming, inclusive education as well as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). LIGHT FOR THE WORLD is working in partnership with governmental and non-governmental organizations and has been registered with Charities and Societies Agency in Ethiopia since March 2010 with the registration No.1706.
Internal/External Vacancy Announcement
Light for the World is a global development organization. We empower people with disabilities and enable eye health services in low-income countries. Over the last three decades we improved health systems, enabled education for all, and amplified the voices of people with disabilities. We focus on the poorest and hardest to reach because that’s where we will have the biggest impact.
Our programmes include:
- Eye Health – preventing blindness and promoting eye health for all.
- Inclusive Education – ensuring children with disabilities receive quality, inclusive education.
- Inclusive Economic Empowerment – ensuring that barriers are removed for men and women with disabilities to access decent work.
In Ethiopia, our country strategy for the year 2021-2025 focuses on Eye Health, Inclusive Economic Empowerment, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Inclusive Education and Humanitarian Action. Advocacy and disability inclusion are cross cutting theme. Currently, Light for the World Ethiopia is supporting projects in Addis Ababa City Administration, Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, Sidama, and South Ethiopia, and Central Ethiopia Regional States.
Light for the World with funding from Mastercard Foundation will implement an 8-year project dubbed We Can Work, a regional signature disability program that uses a system and mindset change approach to impact the lives of at least 1,000,000 young women and men with disabilities and enables them to access dignified and fulfilling work. The program works with umbrella Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and Entrepreneurship Hubs in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria.
With our partners, we will effect change at the level of individuals (including households and communities), organizations and institutions. Young persons with disabilities will act as change agents and provide disability inclusion advisory services and confidently advocate for disability-inclusive policies and practices among key system actors.
Throughout the eight-year partnership intervention, the key ingredients of our work with young women and men with disabilities in the lead will be:
- engaging caregivers and communities through positive and empowering messaging around disability and inclusion.
- driving co-creation processes to inform inclusive economic development.
- developing agency of young women and men with disabilities through the We Can Work Academy, and amplifying voices of young persons with disabilities.
Light for the world therefore seeks the services of an experienced and self-driven person to lead this innovative and ambitious project hence the vacancy below.
Role profile
Reporting to Head of the Disability Inclusion Advisory Unit, the Inclusive Employment Officer manages partnerships that promote Inclusive Employment. She/he will work with the Employers Association or other private sector networks, Human Resource Management Associations and private sector, public and government actors in the field of inclusive employment. She/he will promote inclusive hiring practices, work experience placements, successful job placements and build the database of prepared job seekers with disabilities.
Key responsibilities
Develop and maintain partnerships with strategic actors around Inclusive Employment in country and beyond:
- Actively reach out to private and government sectors and other potential employers on the topic of Inclusive Employment, with a focus on the Ethiopian Business and Disability Network (EBDN)
- Represent Light for the World in meetings to explore partnerships around Inclusive Employment
- Under the We Can Work program relate with Scholars Program partners, YAW partners, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and Enterprise Support Organizations /Cross Wise Works to ensure smooth transition to work.
Manage and prepare employability skills/ work readiness training:
- Support the development of tailored curriculum for employability skills and work readiness training.
- Initiate and nurture partnerships with Universities and Association of students with disabilities to support their transition to work.
- Be a lead trainer and arrange for guest speakers for the Employability training for youth with disabilities, as well as coordinating and be a cofacilitator for the training of employers.
Ensure work experience placements are being planned, implemented, and successfully completed:
- Support the carving of job descriptions for job seekers with different types of impairments in the setting of the companies/organizations we work with
- Support contractual arrangements around work experience placements.
- Ensure proper follow up and support for the youth with disabilities who are placed in jobs or work experience placements.
- Ensure that the employer feels well supported and makes the necessary workplace adaptations to support the placement.
- Mentor the Inclusive Employment DIFs and manage their performance as per the quality standards.
Manage a growing data base of well-prepared job seekers:
- Work closely together with OPDs and job centers in managing a database with job seekers.
- Clear documentation of educational background and career perspectives of job seekers
- Relate with the job seekers in the database and ensure that they are aware of opportunities (jobs, training, career fairs, work experience placements etc.)
Organize career fairs to match job seekers with employers that are committed to disability inclusion:
- Participate in network events with Human Resource Manager
- Relate to HR associations and HR managers so that they can support the mentoring of job seekers and ensure inclusive hiring processes in their workplaces.
- Plan for career fair with support of the DI Officer
- Ensure participation from employers and job seekers and actively prepare for potential matches.
- Liaise with the secretariate of the National Business and Disability Network to ensure participation of all members.
- Partner with OPDs, student associations to ensure participation of job seekers with disabilities with different education backgrounds that match the demand of employers.
- Support the continuous development of resources that support inclusive hiring processes and employability skills development.
Employability skills/ work readiness training
- Ensure that staff working with participants are aware of safeguarding concerns and minimum standards of behavior.
- Report any safeguarding concerns to safeguarding focal point in a timely manner.
Required Skills and Qualifications
- University Degree or Higher in field relating to Human Resource Development, Social Work, or program management.
- At least 5 years of experience working in Non-Governmental Organizations, or Organizations of Persons with Disabilities
- High level of exposure to barriers that persons with disabilities face and practical solutions to overcome those barriers, either through life experience or through previous work experience
- Experience with networking and partnership development especially in private sector setting.
- Experienced trainer and facilitator
- Excellent people skills with the ability to develop others and to impart knowledge and experience in an accessible and clear manner.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Demonstrated expertise in Disability inclusion is desired.
- Show great initiative and be able to work well in a team and independently.
- Ability to produce timely and deliver high-quality results.
