On November 30, 2023, Beijing – Marking the 32^nd International Day of Disabled Persons, the Ceremony for the Joint Development of the Multi-Talent Valley Exploration Centre and School-Enterprise Cooperation Signing Event was grandly launched at The Choi Centre Cloud House, Jonathan KS Choi Cultural Center in Beijing. Co-hosted by the Choi Foundation, the Employment Service Guidance Center of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, and the Beijing Disabled Persons’ Federation, the event brought together stakeholders from across the public welfare sectors.

The event aims to rally philanthropic forces, foster innovative employment models for persons with disabilities, and showcase the resilience, self-improvement, inclusive spirit and innovative vitality of diverse talented individuals. Dr. Joseph KS Choi, Member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Chairman of the Hong Kong Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of Sunwah Group; Li Dongmei, Vice Chairman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation; and Wang Xiangping, Deputy Director of the Beijing Disabled Persons’ Federation, attended the ceremony and delivered keynote speeches. Later that afternoon, Cheng Kai, Chairman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, met exclusively with Dr. Joseph KS Choi to exchange views on deepening bilateral cooperation.

Dr. Joseph KS Choi addressed that “employment is the most fundamental pillar of people’s wellbeing.” As a multinational enterprise, Sunwah Group fully recognizes that employment serves as the cornerstone of individual wellbeing and social progress. He pledged continued investment of resources to elevate the development of undertakings supporting persons with disabilities in China to new level.

During the signing ceremony, 18 educational institutions and enterprises, including Beijing Institute of Technology, Sichuan University, and the Special Education College of Beijing Union University, formalized cooperative agreements onsite. Partner schools and enterprises will jointly develop specialized curriculum systems tailored to vocational training and skill advancement for persons with disabilities, establishing vocational training hubs for people with disabilities under a “Vocational School + Enterprise” collaborative framework.

At the afternoon of the event, Cheng Kai, Chairman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, held a cordial meeting with Dr. Joseph KS Choi at the federation’s headquarters. Chairman Cheng spoke highly of the establishment of the Diverse Talent Valley Exploration Centre, hailing it as a practical initiative to advance high-quality development of disability support services. He highlighted the transformative significance of the newly launched school-enterprise cooperation programme in improving employment quality for persons with disabilities. He also expressed hope that Sunwah Group would act as a bridge to advance coordinated development across the Greater Bay Area, including the sharing of information on disability services and mutual recognition of relevant support policies.

This series of landmark events, initiated by The Choi Centre Cloud House, not only showcases the innovative, self-reliant spirit of diverse talented individuals with disabilities, but also underscores the unwavering commitment of all sectors of society to building an inclusive employment ecosystem. Every effort made here paves a broad path for people with disabilities to access high-quality employment opportunities and fulfil their personal potential. The Choi Centre Cloud House remains dedicated to nurturing compassionate, positive social impact.

Image courtesy of Choi Centre · Cloud House