Shakey’s hiring more PWDs, senior citizens
Restaurant chain Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. has made a big push toward more inclusive hiring, opening up job opportunities to senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD).
The Po family-led company partnered with the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) to launch its senior citizen and PWD hiring program for all Shakey’s stores in the City of Manila.
The program aims to provide senior citizens and PWDs an avenue to earn income for their families. Under the program, Shakey’s is hiring one senior citizen and one PWD for every branch in Manila to be deployed to the stores this September.
Shakey’s president and CEO Vicente Gregorio said many of the elderly and PWDs have the capability and desire to take an active part in our society through gainful employment.
The company has also brought back one of its most awaited hiring programs, Love ‘Em Down, in partnership with the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines.
The program provides people with Down Syndrome an additional environment for fun and learning by giving them an opportunity to participate in community-building activities.
All store employees are now being trained to provide support and create a safe and secure environment for their new team members.
Gregorio said the private sector has a role to play in promoting inclusive job creation.
“Employment gives people a sense of dignity, more so for those who are often marginalized and underrepresented. Embracing inclusivity and diversity in our workforce is not just beneficial to the communities we serve but it also builds our character as a people-focused organization,” he said.
For its own employees, one of the company’s key initiatives is Project Nerdy, which ensures that at least 80 percent of its store employees live within 30 minutes from their place of work to support their health and wellbeing and to create crisisready stores.
To date, 88 percent of Shakey’s store employees live within 30 minutes of their respective stores.