Employment Plus launches new disability services

14 May 2020

Jessica Jovanovic and Ben Warren, who featured recently on ABC TV’s Employable Me, assisted The Salvation Army develop resources for their newly launched Employment Plus Disability Employment Services.

From this month, The Salvation Army Employment Plus will offer nine disability employment services (DES) after the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) opened up the market to allow employment service providers to tender for the contracts.

Employment Plus DES launches have been held in Rowville (Victoria), Launceston (Tasmania), Ipswich and Browns Plains (Queensland) this month and will be held in Chatswood and Gosford (NSW) and Woden (ACT) next month. Singer/songwriter and Employment Plus DES ambassador Kayla Sirrell, who has Tourette syndrome, performed at several of these events.

“With over a century of caring for some of the most vulnerable members of our community and 20 years of placing more than 600,000 people into roles, we welcome the opportunity to help people overcoming any manner of disability to find the job they want,” Employment Plus Managing Director, Greg Moult, said.

“Our values lie in helping the most vulnerable. It is an honour to extend our services beyond everyday job seekers to this important and valuable section of our community.”

Employment Plus DES national manager, Ashley Clarence, said ABS data (2015) showed there were 4.3 million Australians with disability.

“This means there is a significant proportion of people with disability looking for work,” he said.

DES staff offer career advice, employment preparation, resume development, training, help with job searching as well as ongoing support at work, including funding for workplace modifications and wage subsidies to employers.

“There’s a lot to consider when finding the right job for someone who has a disability and our DES staff members take a very personal approach with every job seeker,” Ashley said.

“We understand everyone is different, so everyone we work with has their own program that best suits their individual needs.”

Employment Plus’ DES has developed resources with Jessica Jovanovic and Ben Warren, who featured recently on ABC TV’s Employable Me. Ashley said Jessica, who has autism, and Ben, who has OCD, helped review materials to ensure it “resonates with both a young audience, and an audience that may be living with a neurological disability”.

“It enables us to have first-hand knowledge to better educate us on how to reach these job seekers and assist them in finding work. William Booth believed that every person had the right to a job –and people living with a disability are included in that,” Ashley said.

“A job can be life changing –it can involve you with the community, increase your self-esteem, help you support yourself financially and give your life a new layer of meaning. A job is not just a job, it’s something truly fulfilling, and we believe that everybody, including those with a disability, have a right to that.

“Our DES staff members are truly passionate about what they do –and their actions and values reflect Salvation Army standards.”