March 21st is World Down Syndrome Day and GXO, one of the biggest private sector employers in Yorkshire is celebrating its long-term partnership with the Down’s Syndrome Association’s (DSA) WorkFit programme. Together they are recruiting more people who have Down’s syndrome to GXO’s teams here in the county and nationwide to add to their existing workforce.
Together with its partner ASOS, GXO and DSA have developed long-term paid jobs for individuals with Down’s Syndrome in the GXO/ASOS distribution centre in Barnsley. This site is Barnsley’s biggest private employer with over 4,000 members of staff and contributes £158m to the GDP of Yorkshire annually.
Gavin Williams, Managing Director for GXO UK and Ireland said: “Our colleagues who have come through the WorkFit programme are outstanding, highly-valued team members. Our partnership with WorkFit is very much about championing inclusion and developing meaningful, sustainable jobs for the long term and ensuring that our colleagues are fully integrated and part of the team.”
Alison Thwaite, WorkFit Employment Development Manager at the Down’s Syndrome Association said: “GXO’s partnership with the WorkFit programme has been an amazing success and their support for our work has been exceptional. It’s great to see so many candidates being welcomed and developed throughout the organisation, in different roles, across the country.”
Tom Byrne, Head of Corporate Responsibility at ASOS, commented: We believe that driving diversity, equity and inclusion across every aspect of ASOS is fundamental to ensuring we achieve amazing things as a business. The GXO WorkFit partnership at ASOS Barnsley is a fantastic example of how everyone can find opportunities to grow and succeed in the workplace and become valuable members of the team. We encourage other companies to explore partnerships like this and discover the benefits of hiring diverse talent into their workforces.”
At the Barnsley site, there are four team members who have joined and developed their careers through the GXO/WorkFit partnership.
