RELEASED: May 13, 2022
Social Futures can support Central Coast employers fill job vacancies by showing them how to access a skilled but untapped workforce – people with disability.
Social Futures says it is easy and inexpensive to become an inclusive workplace for people living with disability, opening the potential to attract new employees and customers. (About one in five Australians have disability, that’s more than four million people.)
Social Futures’ LAC coordinator, Maree Jenner, said Social Futures can deliver onsite inclusive workshops on the Central Coast and has produced helpful videos about employing staff with disabilities.
“Many talented people, with great work ethics, can’t get a job because employers either don’t recognise what they have to offer or think it will be too hard to accommodate a person with disability,” Ms Jenner said.
“Social Futures, which is a community partner for the National Disability Insurance Scheme in northern New South Wales, employs many talented people with disabilities. We know how to make it work and we are sharing our knowledge.
“We can explain that there’s so many resources out there to support business, including funding to make workplace adjustments for an employee with disability.”
Ms Jenner said the Social Futures workplace workshop and videos had been crafted by staff with disabilities – inclusion experts.
“So many businesses have a shortage of workers now but remember there is a large and diverse cohort of people you can draw on – people with disability.”
According to Australian Human Rights Commission, Australians with disability have low workforce participation rates. Only around 53 per cent of people with disabilities are employed, compared with 84 per cent of people without.
Ms Jenner said the employment rate of people with disabilities hadn’t budged in 20 years and Australia has one of the lowest employment rates for people with disability in the OECD.
“Just think, you can open up new recruitment possibilities, bring new skills to your business, attract more customers, improve team culture and employ a person with disability based on their merit, skills and talents.”
If you could like Social Futures to come to your workplace and deliver an Inclusiveness Workshop, phone 1800 522 679 or visit:
https://socialfutures.org.au/service/building-inclusive-workplaces/
Email [email protected]
You can watch the inclusive workplace videos here https://socialfutures.org.au/service/building-inclusive-workplaces/
PHOTO: Maree Jenner with her Social Futures colleagues.