Engen and DEET Empower Persons with Disabilities through life-changing Skills Programme

In a powerful move to advance inclusion, mobility, and employability for persons with disabilities, Engen, in partnership with the Disability Economic Empowerment Trust (DEET), has successfully equipped 200 beneficiaries across five provinces with essential life and career skills through its Job Readiness Programme.

Launched in September 2024, the initiative spanned KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, North West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga, offering 100 participants hands-on driver training and enrolling all 200 in a comprehensive job readiness programme. This included CV writing, digital skills, workplace etiquette, and interview preparation.

To date, 40% of driver training participants have obtained their drivers licences through the programmes Driver Training Programme with testing ongoing. Notably, Limpopo achieved a remarkable 95% pass rate.

The programme’s success is rooted in its commitment to accessibility. Modified vehicles, assistive devices, and sign language interpreters ensured that no participant was left behind, regardless of physical or sensory challenges.

“This programme has opened doors that were previously shut,” says Thabiso Phetuka, CEO of DEET. “It’s about restoring dignity, agency, and access to economic opportunity.”
Engen also supplied over 30 assistive devices, further enhancing participants’ mobility and independence.

“This initiative reflects our commitment to creating meaningful, long-term impact,” says Olwethu Mdabula, Engen CSI Manager. “By addressing key barriers like mobility, we’re building pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.”

Aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and South Africa’s 2015 White Paper on Disability, the programme reinforces Engen’s role as a champion of disability inclusion and social transformation.

“Our partnership with Engen provides real hope to people with disabilities who have struggled to access the job market due to a lack of skills or mobility,” added Phetuka.

Affirming Engen’s dedication to disability inclusion, Mdabula added: “It’s not just about non-discrimination but about creating tangible opportunities that enable people with disabilities to become active members of society.”

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