A large-scale textile manufacturer establishing Supported Employment Officers to boost inclusive employment

MAS Holdings in Sri Lanka employs 450+ workers with disabilities via the Supported Employment Process. By 2024, 19 SEOs trained to aid inclusivity across the organization.

MAS Holdings of Sri Lanka is a leading apparel manufacturer in Asia, employing over 100,000 people worldwide. In 2019, MAS launched the Supported Employment Process, focusing on Supported Employment Officers (SEOs) to aid employees with disabilities. Between 2019 and 2022, 19 SEOs were trained in two cohorts. By 2024 over 450 employees with disabilities had joined the programme at MAS.

Problems Targeted

Many companies lack processes that promote the development of people with disabilities within the company and offer them career opportunities.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

MAS Holdings, based in Sri Lanka, is a leading textile manufacturer in Asia, with over 100,000 employees and 41 production facilities in 15 countries. Clients include such major brands as Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Victoria’s Secret. In 2019, MAS initiated the Certificate Course in Supported Employment in collaboration with the University of Kelaniya and the Northern Ireland Union of Supported Employment. By 2024, 19 individuals had completed the six-month course, and 14 of them now work as Supported Employment Officers (SEOs) at MAS. In 2022, MAS introduced the Supported Employment Process, focusing on the career development and growth of employees with disabilities, with SEOs playing a pivotal role. Each SEO develops career profiles of MAS employees with disabilities based on their work history, education, skills, and career goals, along with individual action plans to enhance skills and professional progress. SEOs also ensure necessary workplace adaptations through job site analyses and a review of existing policies and procedures for inclusivity. By 2024 more than 450 employees with disabilities had been integrated into the Supported Employment Process at MAS. MAS has also published a “Good Practice Note on Persons with Disabilities Recruitment” – a set of guidelines for employers.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

The Supported Employment Process operates within MAS’s commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. MAS plans to increase the number of Supported Employment Officers and extend the programme to all 16 countries in which it operates. (Zero Project Awardee 2025)