Umemploymemt hits programmes at sheltered workshop

Press, 16 August 1988, Page 4

Umemploymemt hits programmes at sheltered workshop

By

DEBORAH McPHERSON

Vocational training programmes for people with intellectual or learning disabilities run by the Canterbury Sheltered Workshop are feeling the strain of high unemployment in Christchurch.

Up to 207 trainees worked at the Kilmarnock Enterprises workshops, but there was a waiting list of about 60 people, said the executive director, Mrs Rosemary Carr. The workshops provided job and social skills training, with the aim of placing trainees in the community. The trainees were aged between 16 and 55. High unemployment in Christchurch, however, had meant trainees were not getting jobs or were returning to the workshops after being made redundant, said Mrs Carr. Intellectually handi-

capped people were among the first to lose jobs, she said. Work was important to the self esteem and economic independence of people with intellectual disabilities, said Mrs Carr. The workshop would like to take on another 30 trainees, but was limited in the amount of Government subsidies it could claim, she said. Up to 60 per cent of the workshop’s income was Government funded, including staff salaries. Only four trainees had been placed ’ in full-time employment this year, al-

though many more had the ability to be employed. A large number also worked part-time. Traditionally, the trainees had done contract assembly work for manufacturers, but that was declining as more manufacturers were hit by the downturn in the economy, she said. The workshop had expanded the range of goods sold at its popular craft shop to offset the downturn in contract work. The handcrafts had sold so well it would provide enough work to warrant taking on more trainees,

if subsidies were available, said Mrs Carr.

The Government was reviewing the process of funding for the national Federation of Sheltered Workshops, but the federation was “not hopeful that funding would be increased,” said Mrs Carr. Members of the workshop would meet to discuss funding with the Minister of Social Welfare, Dr Cullen, in Christchurch on Friday. Dr Cullen will formally open the Kilmarnock Enterprises new shop and administration building.