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"Discover the Benefits"

Newcastle Employment Strategy for People with a Disability

Information for Employers

 

The Newcastle Framework - NDEAG  |  Listing Jobs Through Us  |  Frequently Asked Questions   |  Information for Employers  |  Websites/Resources  |  Disability Facts/Statistics  |  Employer Training 2007  |  More Information

Newcastle Disability Employment Advisory Group (NDEAG)

NDEAG is a committee of local business, education, vocational, community members and local/state/federal government departments either involved directly with the employment of people with a disability, who have an interest in this area, or who are people with a disability themselves.

Through the University of Newcastle's National Disability Co-ordination Officer (NDCO)  and Disability Works Australia (DWA), we were pleased to be able to offer free training to employers in 2007 to provide awareness of the issues surrounding the employment of people with a disability, and to provide links to resources and support. This training follows the successful launch of the "Discover the Benefits: Newcastle Employment Strategy for People with a Disability" in October 2007 at Newcastle City Hall, where employers expressed an interest in receiving an invitation to the training day. Click for more information on NDEAG.

This training will be offered again in 2008 through funding provided by the NDCO, who in turn is funded by the Australian Government's Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to promote the employment of people with a disability within the Region >>> more about the NDCO Program.

Looking for Workers? How to list jobs through our strategy…

One of the main ways business can continue to prosper as the population ages and the pool of available workers reduces is to employ a diverse workforce. Over 2007 the Group has developed a range of strategies to increase employers' access to resources, and to assist people with a disability to achieve independence and self-sufficiency by promoting their abilities and skills. This has included the development of a free employment portal.

For employers with below 100 employees…

 

The Group appreciates the assistance of MEGT in making the process of listing jobs for people with a disability more seamless. MEGT enquiries 1300 365 022, www.megt.com.au. Further support links.

For employers with over 100 employees…

Disability WORKS Australia is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to provide employers with access to a single, free, effective contact point for recruiting people with a disability.

Further Support Links… worth a look!

Questions about listing positions?

Call NDEAG Committee members to discuss any issues…

Frequently Asked Questions on Employing People with a Disability

 

Q: What sort of additional costs would there be when employing a person with a disability?

A: In relation to the costs of workplace accommodations and adjustments, 65% of employers rated the financial effect to be cost neutral and 20% identified an overall cost benefit.

 

Q: What effect will employing a person with a disability have on my workers compensation and safety record?

A: Employees with a disability average one sixth of recorded OH&S incidents of employees without a disability and 98% of employees with a disability have an average or superior safety record to other employees.

 

Q: Would there be additional sick leave that a person with a disability would require?

A: 86% of employees with a disability have higher attendance records. A study conducted by Telstra Australia recorded that people with a disability average 4.1 years in a call centre to 3.2 years for a person without a disability. Over a 15 month period, employees with a disability had 11.8 days absent compared to employees without a disability who had 19.25 days absent.

 

Q: What are the incentives to employing a person with a disability

A: With specialised before and after placement support provided by Disability Employment Network Providers (DENs), the average recruitment cost of an employee with a disability was 13% of the average recruitment cost of an employee without a disability. An additional incentive is that if an employee, due to their disability, is unable to meet the productivity levels, they may be eligible to be assessed under the Support Wage Scheme.

 

For general information about employing people with a disability, go to the Australian Government’s JobAccess website at www.jobaccess.gov.au

 

 

Information for Employers

The following are a range of resources available to employers and people with a disability:

Websites and Resources

Disability Facts and Statistics - from Diversity@work website

About the Training Offered in 2007

Employers from the Newcastle Region are most welcome to add their names to our training list for 2008 - training is FREE! Contact Kay Dean at kay.dean@newcastle.edu.au or on 0438 218848.

The training offered in 2007 involved two half-day Workshops. The Workshops were designed specifically for people who have contact with potential employees with a disability. Initially targeted for recruitment consultants, human resource professionals and managers, the program also provided assistance to others who have a need to understand how they can positively influence interactions with people with a disability.

There were three key outcomes included in the program. These were:

Learning Outcome 1 - What is a disability?

The objectives of this section are to enable you to:

Learning Outcome 2 - Responsibilities and Liabilities

The objectives of this section are to enable you to:

Learning Outcome 3 - Your role in recruitment

The objectives of this section are to enable you to:

More Information

Training Day and about the Committee

General

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