Jakarta (ANTARA) - Manpower Minister Yassierli is preparing a new work unit within the Ministry of Manpower that will focus on handling the affairs of workers with disabilities and the special workforce."We are seeking to form a special directorate that will handle matters from training to placement of workers with disabilities and special workforce," he said at an event on the "Advocacy for the Placement of Workers with Disabilities" in Bekasi, West Java, on Monday.
The minister added that the presence of the work unit is a form of the Ministry of Manpower's seriousness in handling the affairs of workers with disabilities.
He explained the current situation, noting that the working-age population of people with disabilities has reached 5.17 million, with the number of workers with disabilities reaching 1.04 million.
Meanwhile, the workforce participation rate for people with disabilities has only reached 20.14 percent, with the open unemployment rate among people with disabilities pegged at 10.8 percent.
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Therefore, according to him, the handling of the issue of workers with disabilities needs to be prioritized. In addition, issues related to people with disabilities have also been included in President Prabowo Subianto's Asta Cita goals.
Director general of manpower placement and expansion of employment opportunities of the Ministry of Manpower, Haryanto said that the Advocacy for the Placement of Workers with Disabilities aims to encourage a 1-percent placement quota for workers with disabilities in private companies.
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"It is also aimed at assisting companies in West Java - Bekasi in making plans for the needs of workers with disabilities, assessment, recruitment, placement, and encouraging efforts to create inclusive, accommodative, and accessible space for workers with disabilities," he added.
