Disability Employment

Disability employment was on the agenda at the beginning of April 2018 & was hosted by the Minister for Disability Services, Hon. Stephen Dawson MLC. The event gave local businesses a chance to discuss and work out how industries can help improve disability employment. Businesses that have already implemented measures to facilitate this ongoing problem had an opportunity to share their successes with others and how these strategies can be enhanced on a broader scale. The discussion focused on key topics such as; Business strategies, attracting & retaining employment challenges & opportunities for innovation. Hon Stephen Dawson MLC said “Increasing employment for people with disability is one of my priority areas. The value of work cannot be underestimated in improving a person’s wellbeing and tangible sense of making a positive contribution to the community. Everyone should have that opportunity.” “Today is a conversation about what works for employers and how we can grow the opportunities for people with disability. This includes improving prospects for career progression.” “The advantages of employing people with disability go well beyond the individual who gains a job. Benefits to the organisation often include lower absenteeism and employee turnover, along with many social inclusion benefits.” This very important meeting follows a first meeting that was held in December 2017 where disability employment was discussed with people already in the workplace. Initiatives such as this are driven by the 2015 data available by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data established that disability employment was at around 53.4%. For further clarifications on progress, the department can be contacted on 6552 5800 .