Phuket hotels invited to join disability employment programme
Steps is seeking Phuket hospitality businesses to provide paid internships for people with disabilities through its Employing 100 Thailand programme.
Phuket hotels and hospitality businesses are being invited to join a 12-month programme that will train people with disabilities and place between 80 and 100 participants in structured, three-month paid internships.
The Employing 100 Thailand programme was launched by social enterprise Steps and will initially focus on Phuket’s hospitality and service sectors. It aims to provide job-readiness training to 100 people with disabilities, with two training cohorts to be held at Holiday Inn Resort Phuket. The first is scheduled for November 12-13.
The programme combines employability training, workplace preparation, interviews, role matching, internships and ongoing job coaching. Participants will develop practical workplace skills, confidence and an understanding of workplace expectations before potentially progressing to internship interviews.
Steps is seeking hotels and other hospitality employers to provide placements in areas including food and beverage operations, kitchens, housekeeping, front office, administration, finance, human resources and engineering. Employers do not need previous experience of employing people with disabilities. Steps will assess workplace accessibility, identify suitable roles and prepare managers and staff for placements, including through guidance on inclusive recruitment, onboarding, communication and workplace adjustments.
Internship placements will depend on candidates’ strengths, interests, support requirements and suitable roles within participating businesses. Steps CEO Max Simpson said the programme was intended to connect prospective employees with businesses while helping employers prepare for inclusive recruitment.
“Too often, what is missing is the bridge between the two,” Simpson said.
The programme runs from May 2026 to April 2027 and is intended to help businesses develop systems and skills to recruit and retain employees with different support requirements. Steps is also inviting people with disabilities in Phuket to apply, with families, disability organisations, schools and community groups encouraged to share the opportunity.
