Astra, ProEM train disabled

JAKARTA (JP): The Yayasan Bina Karya Mandiri foundation of the Astra International Group and ProEM Australia opened a disability employment support training course here yesterday which will proceed for five days with 11 trainees from various companies as the sponsors.

Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono who dedicated the program at the Astra Management Development Center welcomed the course as an effective way of helping disabled people to acquire appropriate employment.

The training course is modeled on the link-and-match strategy developed by Greg Lewis and ProEm, one of the largest open employment agencies for disabled people in Australia.

A.R. Ramly, Chairman of the foundation, said yesterday the training was designed to help personnel managers to select the most appropriate jobs for disabled people and to prepare vocational training programs for job seekers with disabilities.

Ramly added the first batch of trainees included personnel and training managers to enable them to conduct special training programs for disabled people at their respective enterprises.

The opening course was also attended by Australian Ambassador John McCarthy, Astra's president Rini MS Soewandi, Otje Soedioto of the foundation and Elizabeth Drenen from ProEM. (vin)