The service, based at the RNID’s head office in the City and the City Lit college, will provide information and advice for employers and help deaf people find work and develop their careers.
It has been set up following the finding in last summer’s Labour Force Survey that deaf 25 to 45-year-olds are four times more likely than hearing people to be unemployed.
The Employment, Learning and Skills service already exists in cities including Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff and Bristol.
Opening the London service last week, director Sharon Collins said a pool of talent is wasted by employers failing to consider the UK’s 3 million deaf people for jobs.
At the launch, Mike Bolsover, head of HR at HSBC Bank, said, “In the tight labour market we operate in employers can not afford to ignore pools of talent which have so much to offer in terms of ability and commitment.
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“This initiative is an imaginative response to a national business need and deserves to succeed.”
The RNID has also launched a hotline for deaf people to report discrimination in the workplace. Employers can use the number to get advice about making their company more accessible to deaf people. Call 0808 808 0707.
