Aisyiyah West Java Encourages Special Job Exchanges in SLB to Expand Access for Persons with Disabilities

Aisyiyah West Java, in cooperation with the West Java Manpower and Transmigration Office, held an inclusive workshop programme on Monday to develop special job exchanges within special needs schools (SLB). A total of 30 participants from Tasikmalaya, Garut, Ponorogo, and Sidoarjo attended the event. The workshop, themed around improving job access for persons with disabilities through special job exchanges to realise inclusive employment, aims to broaden access to the workforce for people with disabilities. Chairperson of Aisyiyah West Java, Ia Kurniati, stated that assisting and empowering persons with disabilities is part of the organisation’s programme and a mandate that must be fulfilled. “We will discuss something very noble. The mandate given to us is to care for, nurture, and place our brothers and sisters who are destined by God to have special needs. This is not just a programme or a task, but truly a mandate from God,” she said. Hajar Nur Setyowati from the Aisyiyah Central Board’s Inclusion Programme noted that employment challenges for persons with disabilities in Indonesia remain significant. She reported that out of 14.6 million working-age individuals with disabilities, 605,000 have severe disabilities. Among the 11.34 million working-age persons with disabilities, the labour force participation rate is only around 19.7 per cent, with just 9.7 per cent employed in the formal sector. “We certainly hope these figures can increase. Therefore, we need to collectively encourage employment for persons with disabilities,” she said. She added that the development of Special Job Exchanges in SLB is a form of support for the national strategy on disability employment, as well as an effort to build a sustainable system. Aisyiyah is promoting work readiness for persons with disabilities by improving soft skills training, connecting SLBs with employers, and developing programmes such as internships. Hajar expressed hope that the establishment of Special Job Exchanges in SLBs can be expanded to other regions so that job preparation can be carried out independently by the schools.