The Kent firm that made the Skoda cake is joining a campaign to persuade more employers to look at "ability" not "disability" when taking on staff.

A workshop on "How to Employ Ability" at Wrotham Heath, near Sevenaoaks, will give advice about improving access to jobs for disabled people and those with long-term health benefits.

Taking part will be Sharon Goodyer, joint managing director of The Cake Bake Company, Swanscombe, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease. Her firm won national fame for making the cake featured in the Skoda Fabia adverts.

She will talk about her own experiences of managing her own health at work and why she retained the services of employees such as Diane Queeley.

Ms Queeley was only able to perform light duties following a hysterectomy operation and a subsequent medical condition with her ankle. She was kept on and promoted to team leader.

Ms Goodyer said: "For the business, the priority is to look for evidence that job candidates have an enthusiasm for hard work and the capacity to be a good team member.

"Diane is a great listener and a good team leader. She has a serious problem with her ankle but comes up with her own solutions for dealing with it when she’s working."

According to the SCOPE charity, disabled people make an average of two-and-a-half times as many job applications as non-disabled people, but get fewer job offers.

Official statistics suggest that 45 per cent of the disabled population of working age are outside the labour force,

compared with 16 per cent of non-disabled people of working age.

The Government wants to get more disabled people into the workplace and recently launched the "Employ ability" campaign to promote the value of employing disabled people and those with a health condition. It says they should be treated like anyone else and judged on their ability, skills and attitude.

Jonathan Shaw, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, and Minister for Disabled People, said: "It is in the interests of everyone; individuals, businesses and society as a whole, that the number of disabled people in the workplace increases.

"This workshop offers employers in Kent the opportunity to find out more about what it will mean to their business if they access this wider pool of potential talent and recruit the right person for the job – otherwise you could lose out on the ideal candidate because you make false assumptions based on their disability."

The workshop takes place at The Holiday Inn, Wrotham Heath, on Thursday February 12 from 8.45am until 12.45pm.

[blob] For more information on the workshop or to book a place, visit www.dwp.gov.uk/employability/workshops.asp