Microsoft, Non-Profits and employer partners launch programme to increase employability for people with disabilities in Asia Pacific

SINGAPORE - The Microsoft Enabler Program launched this week pioneers disability inclusive workplaces across Asia Pacific by removing the barriers for a more diverse workforce. With more than 1 billion people with disabilities (PwDs) in the world, disability-inclusive employment can lead to 1-7 per cent rise in GDP in Asia Pacific through increased economic productivity. 
The programme will pilot in five markets: Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, before expanding to the rest of the region by the end of 2020, Microsoft said in a media release. 
Organisations committed to the programme will receive training from the Non-Profit organizations (NPOs) to become inclusive employers, and these businesses will in turn provide job shadowing, internships, mentoring and opportunities in tech jobs for PwDs identified by the NPO's. Microsoft will provide industry required training in cloud and artificial intelligence, as well as a platform for all three to collaborate towards an inclusive future for every person. 
"In today's workplace, it is imperative that we include everyone, and accessibility is the vehicle to inclusion. It is a responsibility and an opportunity. There are no limits to what people can achieve when technology reflects the diversity of everyone who uses it," said Vivek Puthucode, Chief Partner Officer at Microsoft in Asia Pacific. "Inclusive organisations outperform their peers and attract and keep top talent, and we have seen how inclusion drives innovation".
Microsoft will provide online training in data engineering and programming, cloud computing on Microsoft Azure and application development in GitHub to the PwDs. These modules will provide crucial technology skills that are globally recognized, and highly sought after in Microsoft’s digital first and remote everything world, therefore providing them with a learning path for industry leading skillsets that improves their employability. For the employer partners, Microsoft will conduct workshops on inclusive design and assistive technologies enabled through artificial intelligence on Microsoft Azure.
The NPOs are - Be. Lab (New Zealand); JA Korea; KODAF (Korea Differently Abled Federation); SG Enable (Singapore); The Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities (Thailand); and   Virtualahan (Philippines).
These NPOs will provide education and training to the employer partners to help them learn about working with PwDs, offer inputs on workplace modifications they may need to be an accessible employer, and guidance on mentoring PwDs. 
The employer partners are: Cloocus (Korea); Cognizant Technology Solutions (Singapore, Philippines); Crayon (Singapore, Philippines);     Datacom (New Zealand); DXC Technology (New Zealand); ePLDT (Philippines); HCL Technologies (Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, New Zealand); Ingram Micro Asia (Singapore); Metanet Platform (Korea); Nexus Tech (Philippines); NTT Asia Pacific; NTT Data (Singapore, Philippines); Tech Data (Singapore); and Wipro (Singapore, Philippines, Thailand), the release said.
These organisations, in addition to receiving training from the NPOs on creating inclusive workplaces, will also accelerate their disability inclusion programme by completing Accessibility Fundamentals, the course by Microsoft Learn which provides guidance on inclusive design principles and leveraging assistive technology.
Microsoft's partners in the region commit to providing opportunities for PwDs by providing job shadowing, training, mentoring and internship attachments in technical roles. These opportunities will be offered in close collaboration with the NPO's who will match the most suitable PwD profile, skills, qualifications, and ambitions with the requirements of the role.
To expand the talent pipeline for partners and connect job-seeking PwDs to tech roles, the programme will also feature a virtual job fair, held at the end of second quarter of 2021, that brings together the Microsoft partners and NPOs. PwDs can use the opportunity to showcase their skills, experience from their job attachments and interests, while businesses share roles available to connect with potential hires. In addition to job matching, the virtual event will include educational sessions about accessibility in the workplace, assistive technology as well as training, support and tools to help organisations sustain their accessibility programs.