A working man

JACK MNISI – A WORKING MAN

Jack is a 24 year old young man living in Mamelodi. For the past 2 years Jack has been working at IST, an engineering company in the Eastern suburbs of the city of Pretoria / Tshwane. He works in the Assembling department and is responsible for Assembling Electrical test connectors which then need to be packed in an electronic kit.

Jack is fully employed earning a big salary (even bigger than his job coach and for sure bigger that the rest of his family members). Added to his salary are benefits such as medical aid, pension, daily meals, etc.

When Jack started working there, his job coach travelled with him daily in order to make sure that Jack gets to work on time, take the correct public transport, etc. It wasnt long before a natural support popped up in the form of a co-worker who started assisting Jack in travelling to and fro from work. Today Jack travels independently or hitch a ride with some of his colleagues.

At work his job coach had to spend a lot of time initially to settle Jack into the routine of the company. It didnt however take long for the co-workers to volunteer in assisting him when he was in need of assistance. As communication in Jacks mother tongue is vital the company recently employed a direct supervisor working with Jack.

His Department supervisor, Manie Malan is satisfied with Jacks performance and says that Jack is neat, independent, happy in his work and responsible. Jack participates in all the activities, meetings and brainstorming sessions of the department. To accommodate him in his work they use colour coded cards and safe mechanical equipment. When they decided to comply with Employment Equity and employ a person with a disability, they were unsure of the screening and interviewing process. Using a placement agency such as Ntiro helped to get the right candidate for the specific job. Manie says that it made good business sense to hire Jack and that the company never looked back.

Jack told his job coach that his friends in Mamelodi are very proud of him and that he stays in touch with them via his cell phone. An item which he now can afford being a working man and all! Jack however did not want to go into detail about how he exactly spends his money! Well good for you, Jack! After all money matters are private affairs for any working man!!

Ntiro: 012-842 3598 082 7854201 Dudu Phama Email: info@ntiro.org.za

SOUTH AFRICAN LAWS

The SA laws of inclusion are the following The Constitution confirms the rights for everybody to work The Skills Development Act ensures the right to develop every South African’s potential The Employment Equity Act requires that 2-4% of employees should be people with disabilities The Code of Good Practice for People with Disabilities ensures the right to be reasonable accommodated in the form of a job coach

INTERNATIONAL VIEW Mr Christy Lynch, an international supported employment expert from Ireland, stated the following:

Firmly held values in the world of work are: Work is valuable People with severe disabilities can work Integration is preferable to segregation No one should be excluded

Supported employment enables individuals with disabilities to be employed in real jobs, in regular settings, where training and other supports are provided on an on-going basis.

Features of supported employment are: The individualised approach A tailor Made Support Package for each individual Initially the process is Labour Intensive The ultimate goal is Social Inclusion Job Coaches play a crucial role Placement agencies have two Customers namely the people with disabilities and the employer.