On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities – December 3, 2022– even companies take stock of their commitment to corporate social responsibility with a focus on social inclusion in order to integrate qualified workers with disabilities more and more into company processes.
Oldrati – an international group among the most important in the production of rubber, plastic and silicone products – has been running a project for years, in collaboration with the social cooperative A Mano a Mano. The project is intended to be an effective point of contact between the typical needs of a business and the goal of bringing people with disabilities, who would alternatively have great difficulty, into the world of work.
Initially born as a pilot project with just a few people, today the collaboration has already passed its sixth year of activity, involves hundreds of workers and professionals, and is certified according to the regulations provided by the Biagi Law. The gradual consolidation of this project has made it possible to create a new model, which has also recently been presented to the Lombardy Region, whose purpose is to unite on the one hand the mission of the Social Cooperative to include disabled workers in the world of work and on the other hand the business world that needs to carry out activities and perform tasks.
The goal is to accompany workers with disabilities on a path of training and support, aimed at active inclusion in the world of work. To bring this project to life, the Oldrati Group brought all its experience to bear in defining the activities to be carried out and identifying the goals to be achieved, assigned ad-hoc departments and locations, and also made available dedicated figures. All aimed at creating a good induction path for people as well as the achievement of good production effectiveness. The issue of project effectiveness and consequent sustainability is a substantial and strongly characterizing theme of this experience that has lasted for several years now and is implemented according to common rules and regulations and without receiving any form of financial subsidy from any entity. In other words, the effort implemented by the Oldrati Group and the Social Cooperative A mano a mano in implementing the right activities and the attention devoted to people allow the project to be self-sustaining, for the total benefit of the local community.
Among the activities necessary for the project to be successful, it was essential to set up a model of continuous communication and interaction, both within the project but also with the different Oldrati Group departments that collaborate. For this reason, communication takes place frequently with the people involved through a plan developed on two levels: on the one hand through meetings and individual interviews with the support also of psychologists and social workers, and on the other hand by interacting directly with Oldrati staff. Regularly, the level of satisfaction and the results of the project are also monitored through the use of questionnaires in which different issues were touched upon at the qualitative level.
This project demonstrates that it is concretely possible to implement, on the territory, a model that operates without subsidies, in which people characterized by disabilities can express themselves to the fullest, according to their potential. This makes it possible to contribute to the removal of certain obstacles that persist in the social life of some categories of citizens with disabilities, allowing them to express themselves also through full participation in the working reality of society.
“We are very proud that we managed to get the project off the ground, but we are especially proud that we managed to give continuity to this project that, in collaboration with the social cooperative A Mano a mano, managed to overcome the initial difficulties. With A Mano a mano we have an agreement in place that provides for a long-term collaboration, and the goal we share is precisely that of accompanying workers with disabilities on a path that will lead them toward inclusion in the world of work and at the same time to meet some of the typical needs of a manufacturing company. This is one of the projects that is part of the Oldrati Group’s strategy oriented toward the development of diversity and inclusion cultures,” says Manuel Oldrati, CEO of the Oldrati Group.
It is a project that leads to reflection on the inclusion of a significant segment of the population, particularly in view of the fact that according to the first world report on disability prepared by WHO, the World Organization and the World Bank, today 15 percent of the world’s population lives with some form of disability.
“The experience of these years with the Oldrati Group has allowed our operators and educational staff to grow in competence and professionalism. All this is fundamental to nurturing the competitive spirit of our operators and their ability to express themselves to their full potential. On this basis we promote the autonomy and protagonist of people, which is the main objective of our project. “said Marco Danesi, president of the social cooperative A mano a mano.
Oldrati Group Press Office
DIFFERENT
Simone Contini – simone.contini@differentglobal.com, +39 348 4845980
Gianmarco Monterosso – gianmarco.monterosso@differentglobal.com, +39 340 8246297
