Applications Now Open for the DJCS 2022 Disability Scholarship Program
The Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) is pleased to announce applications are open for the 2022 Disability Scholarship Program.
What is the Disability Scholarship Program?
One major and two minor scholarships are awarded annually to Victorian students with disability studying at the diploma, advanced diploma, undergraduate or postgraduate level.
Scholarships are offered in the following areas of study:
If you require any of the documents in an alternative format or have any questions email the Inclusion and Intersectionality branch – inclusion&intersectionality@justice.vic.gov.au.
I CAN are also excited to recruit a People & Culture Manager (0.4 FTE) to join their senior staff.
They are looking for a culturally-aligned, motivated, and self-driven individual to join their Senior Management team as a People & Culture Manager based in Victoria.
You will have tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, experience working in Human Resource Management, and will be able to perform tasks in a highly flexible workplace.
I CAN Network’s national online group mentoring program continues to offer a safe, accepting, engaging space where Autistic young people ages 8-22 can connect each week with peers and mentors.
In addition to their classic I CAN groups, I CAN Imagination Club® and groups for LGBTIQA+ teens, they will also be expanding our special interest-based groups to offer 14 different themes.
Please find their schedule details below:
MONDAY
Afternoon: 4:30-5:30PM AEDT
Imagination Club (8-12 years)
Star Wars (8-12 years)
Harry Potter (8-12 years)
Evening: 6:40-7:40PM AEDT
Harry Potter (13-22 years)
Star Wars (13-22 years)
Everything Marvel (13-22 years)
TUESDAY
Afternoon: 4:30-5:30PM AEDT
Dinosaurs (8-12 years)
Evening: 6:40-7:40PM AEDT
Pokémon (8-17 years)
I CAN Group (8-17 years)
Screens, Tunes & Characters (13-22 years)
Anime (13-22 years)
WEDNESDAY
Afternoon: 4:30-5:30PM AEDT
Minecraft (8-12 years)
Evening: 6:40-7:40PM AEDT
Drawing & Art (8-17 years)
Lego – NEW (8-17 years)
Sports – NEW (8-17 years)
I CAN Group (17-22 years)
Please note: Age groups are advertised broadly. They will group participants as close to their age bracket as possible.
As a guide I CAN generally group within the following: 8 – 12 years, 13 – 17 years & 17 – 22 years – this may vary in I CAN Special Interest Groups: https://icannetwork.online/online/
The Australian Government has developed Employ My Ability – the Disability Employment Strategy, to provide a guiding framework for governments, employers and the broader community to increase employment outcomes for people with disability.
The vision is create inclusive workplaces where people with disability can thrive in their careers.
Through Employ My Ability, the Government is looking to make meaningful changes to the way supports to jobseekers with disability are delivered, and empower employers to confidently recruit people with disability.
Four Priority Areas
Employ My Ability has four priority areas:
Lifting employer engagement, capability and demand
Building employment skills, experience and confidence of young people with disability
Improving systems and services for job seekers and employers
Changing community attitudes
Find out how you can contribute to the success of this strategy by visiting: www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers/disability-employment-strategy
Employ My Abilityis available in the following accessible formats:
Many businesses are already committed to improving diversity within their own organisations, and are demonstrating this by publically endorsing Employ My Ability.
If your organisation would like more information on endorsing Employ My Ability, you can reach out to the Department of Social Services at dep@dss.gov.au.
Celebrating International Day of People with Disability 2021
Today is International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD).
This year’s UN theme is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”
We are happy to acknowledge and celebrate this important day.
We also are aware that disability inclusion must go beyond this day alone.
Let’s work together to continue to strive for a better future.
PACE Mentoring: Applications for Autumn 2022 Now Open!
We are excited to announce that applications for PACE Mentoring Autumn 2022 are now open!
PACE Mentoring is a free industry mentoring program that matches jobseekers and students with disability with experienced professionals from leading Australian businesses like QBE, ANZ, Alstom Transport and more!
The 4-months program is a great opportunity to:
Build confidence
Develop employability skills
Practice interview skills
Network with other professionals
Visiting worksites
Learn some top tips to get a head start on your career
Experience professional and personal development
Mentoring opportunities are in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth & Adelaide. There are also some virtual mentoring opportunities for students and jobseekers based in other locations across Australia.
Anyone 18 years or over with any type of disability, mental health condition or chronic illness is eligible for the PACE Mentoring Program.
We welcome previous Stepping Into applicants and PACE mentees to re-apply for the program.
AND accepts applications from jobseekers with all types of disability including, but not limited to: physical disability, mental health conditions, sensory impairments and immunological conditions.
You can find the answers to the questions about eligibility, how the program works, timelines and more.
You can also contact AND on 1300 36 36 45 or via email applications@and.org.au for enquiry.
Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to advance your career opportunity!
Join AND at Their Free Information Sessions
Want to learn more about the program?
Come along to AND’s free PACE Information sessions where we discuss how the program works, what the matching process is like, what to expect from the program and answer any questions you have about PACE Mentoring.
The sessions will be held online through Microsoft TEAMS.
“After I finished PACE, I submitted my resume to Indooroopilly State High School, where I was successful in obtaining an interview. Initially I was nervous, but I just relaxed and thought of the tips my mentor gave me. A week later I got a call from the principal saying that I had the job as a mathematics and science teacher.”
– Melissa from the 2018 PACE Mentoring cohort reflecting on how PACE helped her break into the teaching industry.
The ADCET Universal Design for Learning webpage is Now Live
TheUniversal Design for Learning webpage is now live on ADCET.
Using the ‘In this section’ navigation menu on the left, the page provides a range of UDL resources, checklists and templates as well as advice about learning design and accessibility, professional learning, and opportunities to get involved in UDL conversations to support good UDL practice in tertiary education in Australia.
The page includes both Australian and international information.
Expression of Interest – Administrative Officer (Leadership programs)
Location: Clayton campus
Hours: 4-15 per week
Pay per hour: $42.52
About the team
Career Connect offers a broad range of co- and extra-curricular programs designed to create transformative opportunities for students to acquire the experience, skills and attributes that optimise their employability and community engagement, smooth their transition from study to employment, and enable them to manage their careers in a global and rapidly evolving employment market.
We provide a range of programs and services for students, including those offered through Career Services, Student Leadership Development and Student Futures. Guided by the Sir John Monash ethos of service, we foster in our students a sense of responsibility to change the world for the better and equip them with the skills to do so.
About the role
In this role you will provide administrative support to Career Connect programs, including;
Reviewing and undertaking marking for the Leap into Leadership Online module suite
Responding to inquiries from students and university staff about LiLO and leadership programs
Supporting Program Coordinators with analysis and drafting reports in the Google suite and MS Office suite, updating shared google dashboards
Providing high-quality and timely feedback to students in line with Career Connect messaging
CRM data entry and basic workflow processing and administration
Supporting the leadership programs, including workshops and the Leadership Summit
Sending mail merges in Thunderbird and generating PDFs in AutoCrat
Reviewing forms and attendance data in Career Gateway
Updating online module content in Moodle (as per detailed requests)
Assisting with registration desk and set up/pack down processes at Leadership events
About you
To be considered for these opportunities you must have:
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal including the ability to:
quickly synthesise information from a variety of sources, and
make judgements about customer service responses with a diverse range of stakeholders.
Strong attention to detail and an ability to follow processes, work across multiple platforms, and to solve problems.
Ability to work as an effective member of a team as well as independently under general supervision, either remotely or on-site.
Basic ability to work with Google Suite and Microsoft Suite
(ideal) proficient with google sheets, Moodle, AutoCrat and Thunderbird
(ideal) experience of Student Leadership Development programs at Monash (Monash Minds Leadership Program, Ancora Imparo Leadership Program, Leap into Leadership Online or Student Leadership Summit)
Apply
If this sounds like the role for you and you meet the minimum qualification requirements don’t delay!
Please be sure to include the following information in your application:
How The Three Magic Words “Registered with DSS” Taught Me That I Should Not Let What I Can’t Do Stop Me from Doing What I Can Do
By (former Monash student, class of 2021) M. M. Ahmed
I have to confess that I had mixed feelings after completing my course at Monash University earlier this year.
I was sure that I will not be getting the same level of support anywhere else, as none of the four previous universities I studied at offered a student success and IT team both during and after business hours, nor a Moodle site that did not require an elective in computer science to navigate!
Both my course coordinators and supervisors alike, always made themselves available, and diligently responded to the 6481641 student queries on the Q&A board rain, shine, or pandemic.
Moreover, the new grading system that took into account the current circumstances suggested that the university would rather that all their students pass than make a profit if they failed or needed to repeat their courses.
Lastly, the invitation to be an alumni made sure it was not a “Goodbye”.
Like many students attempting to complete their studies while living with a chronic condition, I was also torn between deciding whether my chronic health condition was or wasn’t a valid excuse that warranted special consideration and additional support during my studies.
And given my often-unreasonable sense of pride and own stigma, I chose not disclose it when first enrolled in my course at Monash.
Consequently, my first two trimesters were akin to swimming up an academic version of the Styx River without a paddle, while wearing a facemask that kept fogging up my glasses to boot.
Therefore, -and despite the fact that I was enrolled in a degree I was passionate about- the “Are You Ready for the next Trimester?” Group email always elicited feelings of extreme angst and apprehension.
I wondered, was this trimester going to be one the one where my four AM brain that was already laden with a combination of medication the side effects were often as bad the symptoms of my condition(s) will finally resurrect a scientist who comes back from the dead to seek vengeance on me for missing the comma behind in my citation?
Registering with DSS
Registering with DSS changed my feelings of angst.
Tom and his team quickly and compassionately made me realise that getting support with my assignments and quizzes was not an unfair advantage but more so one that “levelled the playing field”.
So, when my grades picked up -even in subjects that made me sleepier than my prescribed medication ever did, my reaction every time my grades were released was always the same “What the Dickens?!”
I didn’t understand how and why my grades improved given that the impartial and unbiased support DSS provided me did change the fact I had to do the exact same amount of work on my own.
Whenever I appeared flabbergasted when I did well after submitting a paper which I felt was pure drivel, my partner would often tell me to “Stop being a sourpuss about getting a good grade, and there is no need to add Imposter Syndrome to the list of your chronic health conditions!
Accordingly, and on behalf of all the students who were afforded the ability to apply and receive additional support by DSS with no repercussions, I thank Tom and the DSS team for their dedication and their prompt responses to the flurry of phone rants and emails, which were sometimes on weekends if they believed the matter called for it.
Please take pride that our successes are also yours, and that we will all forever be in your debt for all your support.
I hope that anyone who reads this post -student or university staff alike- recognizes that it is their duty both as a professional and as a human being to make sure that no one they know is ever put in a position where they have to pick between the two excuses.
