Some of Our Parts

If you watched the 2018 ABC TV series Employable Me as it followed people with neuro-diverse conditions such as autism and Tourette Syndrome looking for work, then you came across the Xceptional, an IT recruitment firm (that gave Tim a job).

Founded by Mike Tozer as a tech service in 2017, Xceptional quickly evolved into employing people on the spectrum as software testers and data analysts. It set itself an ambitious goal of helping 1000 people find work, having already put 30 candidates in specialised IT roles.

“Our growth to date speaks to the incredible opportunity in placing neurodiverse candidates in specialised roles and shattering any stigma around hiring these candidates,” he said.

“Those on the autism spectrum, for example, often have remarkable attention to detail and advanced problem-solving skills, making them ideal candidates for complex code testing tasks.” – Mike Tozer, Xceptional’s CEO

Read more on the Startup Daily online article.

JOIN THE TEAM! – Job Opportunities with I CAN Network

I CAN Network are very proud to be Australia’s largest Autistic-led organisation and currently provide paid employment opportunities to more than 30 Autistic young adults and adults across Australia.

They are particularly keen to attract and develop Autistics as mentors to meet the rapidly growing demand for our group mentoring via online and face-to-face programs, as the Autistic-lived experience is a cornerstone of our work.

I CAN also welcomes outstanding team members who, although not Autistic themselves, are passionate about supporting Autistic young people and view them through a strengths-based lens.

Mentoring Positions Available

Four Current Internships Available through Connect50

Connect50 (https://connect50.org.au/) is part of the Victorian Government’s economic participation plan for people with disability 2018-2020 and will be supporting 75 internship opportunities in regional Victorian organisations across Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, and the Latrobe Valley, and 10 internships in Victorian Disability Advocacy Organisations from now until February 2021. Internships will generally occur during the Winter and Summer semester breaks, but may also be announced at other times during the year.

There are 4 current opportunities advertised for the Summer 2019 / 2020 cohort on the Students page of the Connect50 website (https://connect50.org.au/students/) and they’re expecting another Legal Intern opportunity at Coulter Roache (Geelong) any day now.

Currently advertised opportunities include:

• Harwood Andrews (Geelong) – Legal Intern
• TAFE Gippsland (Morwell / Traralgon) – Report Writer Disability Action Plan Intern
• GForce Employment Solutions (Geelong) – Project Assistant Intern
• VALID (Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability) (Melbourne – Richmond) – Project Officer Intern

The internship roles run for 152 hours over the Summer semester break (Dec – Feb, actual dates TBC) and are open to students in their penultimate or final year of University, or studying a Cert IV or above at TAFE, who identify as having disability.

The formal closing date for the opportunity is Friday November 15^th, however applications will be left open until there are suitable candidates confirmed.

Students are asked to apply as soon as able so that interviews can be conducted and students can be offered pre-program support.

Students can also join the mailing list, to hear about opportunities as they are announced, via the Students page of the site or via this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/73579LR

Current Internship Details

Internship No. 1

The first internship is a Legal Intern role at Harwood Andrews (Geelong), this role is open to Law students in their penultimate or final year of study.

This internship will provide some insight as to what it is like working in a law firm.  The successful candidate will get a practical hands on experience, working in a couple of different practice areas.

Harwood Andrews has advised that they are also open to placing the intern in a practice area that is of interest to them (if possible).

Internship No. 2

The second is for a Project Assistant Intern at GForce (Geelong). This intern will provide assistance and support in the delivery of a targeted project that will promote the benefits of employing persons with disability.

The opportunity is open to University students studying any degree – Business, HR, or Marketing desirable but not required – and TAFE students studying Cert IV and above.

Internship No. 3

The third internship is for a Disability Action Plan Report Writer role at TAFE Gippsland (based in Morwell / Traralgon) that is open to both eligible University and TAFE students studying any course.

The successful candidate will contribute to TAFE Gippsland’s commitment to provide an accessible educational environment by: Seeking feedback from relevant stakeholders as to the initiatives and actions required to create an accessible educational environment; and by assisting with the drafting and development of a Disability Action plan in line with policy requirements with stated actions, agreed time-frames and measurable outcomes.

Internship No. 4

The final and fourth internship opportunity is for a Project Officer Intern at VALID (Richmond / Melbourne).

VALID has received funding to run a project that focuses on identifying the barriers to effective disability support that people with intellectual disability face when they are involved in the criminal justice system. The Justice For All project has a number of key components, including the development of a Peer Action Group (PAG). The PAG will be comprised of people with intellectual disability who have lived experience of the criminal justice system, and will meet monthly to identify a range of systemic issues they would like to work on.

The successful candidate will support the work of the Advocacy Coordinator to develop and recruit participants to the Peer Action Group. This opportunity is open to University students in their penultimate or final year of study, ideally studying Social Work, Criminology, Community Development, or Law.

For more information contact:

• Emma Henningsen, Project Manager, Australian Network on Disability
• Level 1, Suite 1.08, 2 Queen Street, Melbourne, 3000
• T (03) 9629 2871 | W www.and.org.au  | E emma.henningsen@and.org.au

Re-thinking the Workforce: Seeing Machines Embrace an Innovative Pathway to Disability Employment

*From JobAccess

Road accidents involving commercial vehicles are a common cause of casualties worldwide.

In Australia alone, there were nearly 150 fatal crashes involving heavy trucks during the 12 months to March 2019¹. Canberra-based technology company Seeing Machines aims to change this.

Seeing Machines is at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) technology that equips machines to decipher facial expressions.

Preventing Accidents Through Technology

It uses its proprietary Guardian technology to help prevent accidents and improve safety through real-time driver monitoring and reporting of high-risk behaviours such as fatigue and distraction. So far, the technology has helped detect over 4 million distraction events and, over the past year, intervened in more than 109,000 instances of fatigue.

Until recently Seeing Machines offered 24-hour support to global logistical and transport enterprises from its Guardian Centre in Tucson, Arizona in the United States. An operational review to adopt a ‘follow the sun’ approach saw Seeing Machines launch a new monitoring centre in Canberra to share services with Tucson.

Encouraging Disability Employment

With a view to encourage disability employment, Seeing Machines introduced Project Embrace – an initiative to create targeted opportunities in Canberra for the local community of neuro-diverse candidates, including people on the autism spectrum.

*To read more, see the original JobAccess article.

Workplace Adjustments in Best-Practice Organisations

The Centre for Workplace Leadership, in consultation with the Australian Network on Disability, examined ‘best-practice’ organisations in Australia to understand how they utilised workplace adjustments towards the inclusion of people with disability in the workplace.

Twenty-six Australian organisations from the private, public and for-purpose sectors participated in the research, from which 48 managers and employees were interviewed about their implementation of workplace adjustments.

A series of findings and recommendations focused on systems and processes that contribute to inclusive workplaces are outlined in the final report: Improving Access and Inclusion in Employment for People with Disabilities.

*To read more, go to Australian Network on Disability’s web site.

Department of Treasury & Finance – Diversity Scholarship 2020

International Students Can Apply by 31 January 2020

CareerFitter have been offering scholarships every year since 2003; and have been providing online career tests and research since 1998. You can see more about their scholarship and what they do here: https://www.careerfitter.com/scholarship

Eligibility

• All applicants must be enrolled, or due to be enrolled, as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited US college or university for the semester, they are applying to receive the scholarship

• Applicants must have a GPA average above 2.4

• Applicants are not required to have a specific major

• Domestic, international, and undocumented students may apply

• Students attending online universities are welcome to apply

*This year CareerFitter’s doubled their scholarship from $500 to $1000 and the deadline for 2020 is January 31

Stepping Into Internships – Two Weeks To Go!

Positions include:

• Technology Intern (Melbourne)
• Accessibility Plan Intern (Melbourne)

Positions include:

• Civil Engineer or Environmental Engineer/Scientist or Project Manager Intern (Canberra)
• Environment & Resources Intern (Melbourne)

Positions include:

• Mine Planning Intern (Perth)
• Planning and Technical Intern (Brisbane)
• Operations Finance Intern (Melbourne & Perth)

Positions include:

• Marine Division Program Management Intern (Canberra)
• Policy Development and Advice Intern (Canberra)

Positions include:

• Comms Specialist Intern (Sydney or Melbourne)
• Demand and Performance Analyst Intern (Melbourne)

Positions include:

• Mental Health Support Officer Intern (Geelong Location: Hunter Region, NSW, or Perth, WA may also be considered)
• ICT Support Officer Intern (Canberra)

Positions include:

• Human Resources Intern (Brisbane)
• Strategic Contract Management Intern (Brisbane)

Positions include:

• Legal Intern (Melbourne)
• Strategy and Finance Intern (Melbourne)

Positions include:

• Supplier Inclusion & Diversity Assistant Intern (Sydney)
• Analyst Intern (Sydney)

We have plenty more organisations and positions listed on our website!

If you’ve already applied – thank you! We have had more positions added since our first email, so be sure to check our website for the updated list, and email applications@and.org.auif you would like to change your preferences. Don’t forget to share this email with people you know who might be interested, too!

If you haven’t already applied: applications close Friday 4^th October. Head to our website to view all available positions, and apply here!

Am I eligible?

• Stage of study: final or second last year of university
• Discipline of Study: All are encouraged to apply
• Citizenship status: Australian citizen, Permanent Resident or international student with full working rights in Australia

AND accepts applications from students with all types of disability including, but not limited to: physical disability, mental health conditions, sensory impairments and immunological conditions.

How do I apply?

Read the details on our information page for students and complete our online application form by 4th October 2019

Who do I contact if I have more questions?

To speak to a member of the Stepping Into team call 1300 36 36 45 or email applications@and.org.au

Find Out More About Stepping Into

More Stepping Into Internship Positions Added to AND Website

Australian Network on Disability (AND) encourages all potential applicants to review the positions on offer and apply for the ‘Stepping Into’ program. Any applicants who wish to change their preferences are also more than welcome to email applications@and.org.au to update their preference list.

 An Inspiring Story from the Winter 2018 internship program.

Amelia Gates with supervisors

Amelia Gates participated in Stepping Into at Department of Social Services Tasmania, and not only discovered her career potential, but developed her confidence in managing her illness in the workplace.

 Having never attempted full-time work before, Amelia had wanted to test just how much work she could take on. Once she realised her disability was nothing to hide, armed with pain-management techniques and confidence, Amelia soon realised she was very capable of full-time work. Amelia has since gone on to a role that is aligned with her university studies and career goals.

‘I don’t have the same concerns going into this new job that I did before I completed Stepping Into. I now feel confident in my ability to manage any pain and not hide my disability from co-workers,’ she said.

 Her supervisor Beverley Jefferson and colleagues also say they gained valuable skills from the internship, and learned how easy it can be to manage adjustments in the workplace.

 ‘Amelia just needed the flexibility to have time off when her disability impacted too intensely, and access to a microwave for heat packs,’ said Beverley.

‘Disability should not be a barrier – in fact, that question should be flipped. Ask instead: do employers create barriers for people with disability?’

AND are delighted to be able to contribute to these fantastic outcomes for both students and organisations. Visit their website for more success stories!

Applications for the Summer 2019/20 Stepping Into internships are open until October 4th

For more information or any enquiries, feel free to contact the Programs team on 1300 36 36 45 or email applications@and.org.au

Monash Career Connect and WISE Employment Launch GradWISE

Mr Edward Osano of WISE Employment at the GradWISE launch

On Wednesday 21 August 2019 at Monash University’s Caulfield Campus Disability Support Services and Monash Career Connect officially launched the GradWISE program with WISE Employment Services.

GradWISE is a new program, developed in conjunction with Australian Universities to provide support and improve employment opportunities for students living with a disability, illness or injury.

GradWISE is designed to complement the existing supports provided by Monash to give students a customised coaching program in a one on one setting. Their aim is to give you the skills and experience you need to find the perfect graduate role. They work with you, and their pool of employers, to make the perfect match and provide all the support you need before and during your employment for as long as you need it.

Monash Career Connect also provided an information session outlining the supports already available to Monash students to maximise graduate employment opportunities, including LiLo, Student Futures, Employ-ability Workshops, and more. Go to the Career Connect website to find out what they can offer you!

Apply for GradWISE at Monash

If this sounds like the support you have been looking for, the team would love to chat with you. You can find out more about the program on their website www.wiseemployment.com.au/gradwise or drop an email to Mr Edward Osano (pictured), Head of GradWISE to set up a time for a chat – edward.osano@wiseemployment.com.au

You can also find out more about your unique personality type by using the GradWISE Selfie Evaluation – found here: www.wiseemployment.com.au/gradwise-evaluation

*GradWISE appointments are now available at Monash University Caulfield Campus on Fridays 9am – 5pm at the Career Connect office, ground floor, Building B. Contact Ed Osano to make an appointment or to touch base sooner! edward.osano@wiseemployment.com.au