Client Stories
DISABILITY WEEK CELEBRATES SUCCESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOB SEEKERS
As Disability Action Week comes to an end, Gympie’s community can rest assured disabled people in their region are cared for. A joint venture between Jobmatch, Apex and Gympie schools is helping to find long-term employment for people with a disability. Just ask Terri-Ann Welch who has been holding down a good job maintaining the grounds at James Nash State High School. Ms Welch happily takes care of the school grounds for three half-days a week and said as far as she was aware, the school was pretty happy as well.
Jobmatch Manager Garry Davison said the employment agency was established in the 90s to help people with a disability to find and keep a job.
“We have been assisting people with a disability throughout the Gympie region for the past 17 years,” he said. “During this time, we have secured hundreds of jobs in a wide variety of fields. Unfortunately, our success rate with government departments has been somewhat disappointing for a number of reasons – the main obstacle being the selection process in most departments.”
“Through the Education Department, we have occasionally been successful in cleaning positions but more recently have developed a strategy that has created a number of opportunities for people with significant disabilities. We believe there are numerous opportunities for people with significant disabilities in state schools right throughout the state.”
The Department of Education is trialing the program throughout the Gympie region, funding schools to employ people with significant disabilities to assist grounds men/cleaners, teachers and administration staff.
This program has been so successful in its trial months, it has been extended past the 12 months to continue until the end of 2010. The first opportunity was at Tin Can Bay School where a young man was employed to assist the grounds man. This position worked very well and lasted until the young man relocated.
The position was then filled by a young woman with very significant support needs. One of the benefits to schools is students becoming more accepting of people with a disability in the community.
