Link February 2017 Volume 26 Issue 1 | Page 52

opinion

job ready

Changes to Disability Employment Services are designed to get more people with disability into work , writes the Commonwealth Assistant Minister for Disability , Hon . Jane Prentice . discussions to find out what they really want or need and how DES can be changed for the better . And indeed some changes have already been announced in response to that feedback .
A job is an important aspect of life . It is an enabler - it opens a world of choices and opportunity and it gives an independence that many workers take for granted .
Yet while 83 % of Australians have a job only 53 % of people with a disability have one . I find that people with a disability are just as keen to find work as most Australians . Sadly Australia ’ s track record in maximising workforce participation for people with disability is not good enough . We rank 21 out of 29 OECD countries . This must change .
The government recognises that we can and should do better . We support people with disability into jobs through a range of programs . But less than one-third of Disability Employment Services ( DES ) participants remain in employment after completing the assistance period - this must improve .
We are planning big changes for DES in 2018 . So we have consulted the sector , people with disability and the broader community . We have examined experiences elsewhere in the world . Last year I continued to engage with stakeholders including roundtable
On November 2 , Minister for Social Services , Christian Porter and I launched a Disability Employment Services discussion paper calling for public input to ensure that the programme is the best it can be .
I look forward to the responses to the discussion paper and what improvements can be achieved .
This year we will focus on how to make these changes a reality so , by 2018 , we can implement a new and improved DES to ensure people with disability find work and stay in jobs longer .
While we are committed to ensuring jobseekers have a greater say in the services they receive ; we also recognise we need to educate employers about the benefits of hiring a person with disability , and support and mentor those who do .
Experience shows that when you hire a person with a disability , not only are they genuinely grateful for the opportunity to become part of your team , but they also bring with them a work ethic and loyalty that can sometimes be hard to find in a world of entitled Gen Ys . We also know people with disability
generally take less leave , have fewer accidents and stay in jobs longer than other workers .
The benefits of employing a person with disability are a two-way street . Not only does it give a person with disability a sense of worth and independence , but also gives the employer a loyal employee who is genuinely appreciative of the opportunity . An important part of improving the outlook in the sector is to educate employers about the real benefits people with a disability can bring to their workforce .
These changes in understanding and education and culture will not occur overnight . It is not only employers but also fellow employees - indeed all of us - who need a greater understanding of the strength of will and enthusiasm that people with a disability bring to the workforce – and to our community as a whole .
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