More help for people with a disability to find work

A new project will assist providers of employment services to better market the skills and talents of job seekers with a disability, to potential employers.

Minister for Employment Participation Kate Ellis today said that the Government was committed to continuously improving the employment services offered to unemployed Australians with disability.

This new project, which will be called the DES Employment Practitioner Capability Framework and Training Program, will be run by Disability Employment Australia in partnership with the Australian Human Resources Institute.

“We’re reacting to feedback that sometimes there can be a disconnect between what employers are looking for and how employment service providers present the idea of giving an unemployed Australia with a disability a chance,” Ms Ellis said.

“This project will help to bridge that gap and make sure that employers are getting the right staff and job seekers with a disability are gaining the work experience and skills that will best place them to get a job.”

“The project will see the implementation of targeted strategies and new approaches to marketing the employment of job seekers with disability, through engagement with the expertise of those in the know – recruitment and human resources managers.”

This project was funded with $129,500 from the Australian Government’s Innovation Fund.

The $41 million Innovation Fund contributes to achieving the Australian Government’s Social Inclusion Agenda by supporting innovative strategies to assist disadvantaged job seekers find and retain employment.

The Australian Government is committed to further strengthening the employment services for job seekers with disability.

In the 2011-12 Budget the Government announced unprecedented investment in these services and confirmed a competitive tender process for Disability Employment Services-Employment Support Service would be undertaken.

Ms Ellis said that the decision to tender for these services was made with the interests of people with a disability at the very centre of the Government's thinking.

"I firmly believe that as we invest more than ever before and unveil more programs and assistance - we should also demand that people with a disability have access to the very best possible services,” Ms Ellis said.

"We want to give employment service providers new tools, new supports and new ways to assist people with a disability to find work and to deliver the best possible employment services for job seekers with a disability.”

“By better marketing our job seekers with disability to potential employers, we also hope to see greater interest and participation in disability employment programs by the business community more generally,” Ms Ellis said.

Further information on the Innovation Fund can be found at: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Employment/JSA/Pages/InnovationFund.aspx