Local Employer champions diversity in the Workplace

The Midland Metro Alliance (MMA), a prominent West Midlands employer, has been using local supported employment service, Enable, to recruit new members of staff and promote equality within the workplace.

Enable Wolverhampton is contracted by the City of Wolverhampton Council to deliver disability employment services, offering a wide and varied range of support to help jobseekers find long-term, paid employment. So far this year, Enable Wolverhampton has supported 25 Wolverhampton residents into paid employment. Two of which are John Russel and Steven Billings who were put forward by Rail Safety Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of Auctus Management Group Limited who are a partner company of the Midland Metro Alliance, for cleaning positions on the Bilston Road Track Renewal project.

Thomas Barraclough, Logistics Manager for the Midland Metro Alliance, said: “An employer’s first consideration in any employment situation, particularly in the construction sector, should be around safety. Although there is a great want to recruit with equality in mind, there is a consideration to be made if differently abled people are able to do aspects of the role requirement. Enable was able to give great examples of previous client/employer engagement and worked with us to ensure matches were suitable for our project.”

John and Steven soon proved that they were excellent in their new roles and according to Thomas, both are valuable and methodical workers who are well-liked members of the MMA team and a pleasure to have on site.

Enable supported John and Steven, as well as the staff at the Midland Metro Alliance, through the use of their highly trained Job Coaches. The Job Coach would attend shifts with John and Steven to support them while they settled into the new role. They would also act as a communication link to the employer and help to solve any issues in a productive and professional manner.

Thomas said: “Jane, the Job Coach to the Midland Metro Alliance was very important. She aided their success in this role and definitely boosted their confidence. We are always approachable but there may have been times when Steve and John would prefer to chat through items with their Job Coach.”
Steve and John are happy in their new roles and excited to have entered the world of employment. As a result of their success, Midland Metro Alliance have since taken on two more Enable clients who began work in early September.