about usel

USEL (Ulster Supported Employment Ltd) was established in 1962 to provide supported paid employment for disabled people within its Belfast manufacturing base. In 1980 USEL incorporated the Workshops for the Blind becoming the largest employer of disabled people within Northern Ireland.

USEL supports approximately 1000 disabled people per year through its various programmes. In 2002 USEL employed approximately 80 disabled people within a competitive manufacturing and contract services division, over 625 within its Employment Support programme and assisted a continuously increasing number into employment under its provision of the New Deal for Disabled People Job Broker Service. The organisation also provides work experience or job sampling opportunities to disabled young people and adults to build and assess job ready confidence and vocational skills and abilities.

USEL moved from its Lawnbrook Avenue Victorian factory environment into a large, modern factory in Cambrai Street, Belfast in June 2001. USEL is also located at 11a Market Street, Portadown. These new locations have provided room for the organisation to expand the range of programmes and services it could offer to assist, train and support disabled people enter, retain, maintain and progress in paid employment.

Registered Charity Number: XR 29359