WELSH charity ELITE Supported Employment, marked Employability Day 2026 in Merthyr Tydfil by showcasing how it is creating opportunities for individuals and families facing barriers to work by integrating education, employability, health solutions and social enterprise. ELITE Supported Employment is a member of Fedcap.
Gerald Jones MP met the team at the award-winning social enterprise, ELITE Paper Solutions team to see first-hand how they are supporting disabled people into work. He toured the site and met with employees who collect and confidentially shred wastepaper for organisations including the NHS, Public Health Wales and Cardiff City Council.
Among those he met was recycling operative Rhys who, one year after completing his Warehousing Apprenticeship with ELITE Paper Solutions, is going from strength to strength in his job.
Rhys joined ELITE on its apprentice programme delivered in partnership with Cambrian Training, which is designed to support disabled people by offering tailored training, one-to-one support, and meaningful work experience that leads to long-term employment.
For Rhys, this apprenticeship marked his first paid job – a huge milestone for him. With the support of his peers and mentors at ELITE Paper Solutions, Rhys has grown both personally and professionally.
Rhys said: “The job has helped me get out of the house as I didn’t leave much before, so it’s helped my confidence, experience, improve my skills and gain new skills, make new friends, and speak to new people.”
Leanne Sollis, Delivery Manager for ELITE, said: “Employability Day is a chance to celebrate the people who have taken steps toward a better future and the teams, employers and partners who help make that possible.
“With more than 30 years of experience, ELITE has worked tirelessly to enable more than 20,000 disabled people and individuals with barriers to work to access and sustain meaningful employment, and we are incredibly proud of that achievement.”
Gerald Jones MP said: “It was a real pleasure to meet the team, learn more about the work they do and hear first-hand how they are supporting people across our communities into sustainable employment.
“Organisations like ELITE play a vital role in creating opportunities and helping individuals build brighter futures. My thanks to the team for the very warm welcome.”
Last year ELITE joined forces with leading not-for-profit organisation Fedcap to expand its mission to help even more people into sustainable work across the country.
Christine McMahon, Fedcap President and CEO, said: “Fedcap’s mission is to create pathways to economic wellbeing for people facing barriers to work, and that means addressing the root causes that can keep people disconnected from opportunity.
“For some, that may be a mental health challenge. For others, it may be disability, disrupted education, a lack of confidence, or simply not having access to the right training at the right time.
“The partnership with ELITE aligns perfectly with Fedcap’s mission of empowering individuals facing barriers, especially individuals with disabilities, to work and achieve economic mobility.
“By combining our strengths, we will be able to innovate, scale, and deliver a greater impact for individuals who too often remain excluded from the workforce.”
