Carpentry, metal workshops building to empower people with disabilities

The carpentry and metal workshops building was inaugurated on Monday, under the auspices of Dr Mahad bin Said Baowain, Minister of Labour. The opening comes as a new step towards empowering people with disabilities and affirms the ministry’s commitment to providing high-quality vocational rehabilitation services to them to develop their skills and integrate them into the labour market.

The 652 square-metre building houses two main workshops - carpentry and metal working - alongside a dedicated handicrafts workshop specialising in hand weaving. All workshops cater to the specific abilities and skills of people with disabilities. Additionally, a vocational assessment hall allows for tailored training programmes based on individual needs. The facility boasts the latest equipment and tools, ensuring participants receive the highest quality training.

Dr Laila bint Ahmed al Najar,

Minister of Social Development, said, “We are truly happy to inaugurate the vocational training workshops in the field of blacksmithing and carpentry for our children with special needs. There is no doubt that what we have witnessed during their work on these machines and equipment is that they have many skills and abilities to be able to engage in the labour market.”

“This indicates that there is a future for them in having their projects or also benefiting from them as employees or workers in the professional aspect in the fields of blacksmithing or carpentry in many companies or institutions where they can be as employees capable of implementing these models and designs with this high technology and craftsmanship and the appearance of the product in a very beautiful way as I see it competes with what is available in our markets. Therefore, we consider such projects to be the nucleus for empowering people with disabilities and integrating them into the labour market in the coming years,” she added.