Innovative Policy 2017 on Employment and Vocational Education & Training
| Started: | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Country/Region of origin | Ecuador |
| Responsible body | Federation of Ecuadorians with Physical Disabilities (FENEDIF), in partnership with the Ecuadoran Government, NGOs, and companies |
IN BRIEF
Ecuador’s Labour Integration Service (SIL) of 2006, implemented by the Federation of Ecuadorians with Physical Disabilities (FENEDIF), is a partnership of the Government, NGOs, and companies to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the open labour market. The service includes employment orientation, labour promotion, capacity-building/training, and psychological support as well as work integration monitoring. SIL also addresses employers directly and assists them to comply with their legal obligations. Since 2006, SIL has trained some 50,000 persons with disabilities and has sensitized more than 36,000 people on disability issues through public outreach activities.
CONTEXT
SIL was launched in 2006 and subsequently expanded thanks to the sponsorship and partnership agreements with the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development, the United States Agency for International Development, the Ibero-American Network of Persons with Disabilities’ Entities, the National Disability Council, the state enterprise Petroamazonas EP, the Government of Ecuador, and the Office of the Vice President. It is underpinned by the 2005 amendment to the Ecuadorian Labour Code as well as the Organic Law on Disability of 2012.
Workshop on preparation to the labour market © FENEDIF
Awareness speech on positive language to workers of the Ministry of education © FENEDIF
INNOVATIVE ASPECTS
KEY FEATURES
By providing advice and training, the profiles of SIL users are enhanced to become more attractive to employers. SIL also works to overcome the stigma that can be associated with people with disabilities, as well assists in creating physical access to work-places. SIL has multidisciplinary teams composed of professionals who are themselves disabled. Cooperation has allowed FENEDIF to offer its services free of charge. The state enterprise Petroamazonas is paying the wages for SIL staff, while the National Disability Council hosts SIL in its provincial premises. Other organizations, such as the Ecuadorian Service of Professional Training, provide free training to SIL participants.
OUTCOME, IMPACT AND EFFECTIVENESS
- In 2016 the National Disability Council and Petroamazonas signed an agreement stating that maintaining the SIL programme was a high priority of the state enterprise.
- In 2013 the Group Faro Ideas & Collective Action awarded FENEDIF the Civic Innovation Prize for SIL.
- Since 2009, Petroamazonas has included 104 employees with disabilities.
TRANSFERABILITY, SCALABILITY AND COST-EFFICIENCY
By translating the Labour Code into practice, SIL produces social benefits that also have an impact on the national GDP. In 2016–2017, SIL will be strengthening its training, sensitising potential employers, and boosting self-employment.
