How to hire a competent work force was among the topics of discussion at last week's Mayor's Committee annual meeting.
Officially called the Santa Clarita Valley Mayor's Committee for the Employment of Individuals with Disabilities, the group is focused on educating local businesses on the benefits of employing persons with disabilities.
"We all have disabilities," said board member Portia Boord. "Some of them are just more obvious than others."
It's the group's goal to help employers realize that most people with disabilities are more than capable of performing tasks associated with most jobs.
"On the part of the employer, I think one of the areas is fear of the unknown," said board member Ron Rudzinski. "If the person has a more obvious disability, employers will oftentimes (not even consider them)."
The focus of an interview should be on the tasks necessary to do the job and the potential employee's ability to do them, Rudzinski said.
"Rather than look at the person and say, 'They're not going to be able to do this,' it has to be broken down to the basic requirements for the job," he said. "There are agencies and groups that will assist employers as well."
By hiring persons with disabilities, Rudzinski said employers benefit the community by making it more complete.
Resent census and national statistics have shown that the unemployment rate of persons with disabilities who are seeking employment is probably more than 20 percent.
For Rudzinski, the answer is communication.
"Employers must communicate with potential employees about the job that needs to be done and how it can be accomplished," he said. "It's a lot easier than you would think."
Being a part of that communication process is what the committee is all about, he said.
The committee's next meeting is set for October and will recognize local businesses and organizations that have successfully established relationships with the disabled.
For more information about the committee, call 259-0033 ext. 526.
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