Some of Our Parts

Why Disability Employment is the Answer to Australia’s Skills Shortage

A free webinar for employers hosted by JobAccess

A slowdown in regional and international talent mobility has seen employers access an increasingly limited pool, as one in five Australian businesses faces skills shortages.

But what if you were able to build a steady, sustainable pipeline of diverse candidates to fill your vacancies? Register here to find out how.

People with disability are reliable, safe and productive employees and yet are overlooked by businesses when hiring.

Nearly 50% of people with disability of working age are looking for work and can be a great resource for industries facing skills gaps.

Progressive organisations are tapping into the diverse skills people with disability have to offer. In doing so, they are reaping the long-term benefits of higher productivity, staff retention and market innovation*.

Register Now for This Online Event

How do they do it? Register for our free online event to hear from disability-confident organisations who will join Paralympian Katrina Webb OAM to share how they broadened their talent pool by attracting and employing people with disability.

*You might recognise Katrina as part of Channel Seven’s Tokyo Paralympics 2020 commentator team.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Learn first-hand a wide range of strategies and good practice to make your recruitment and employment processes more inclusive.
• Interact with a panel of disability-confident employers who will share their learnings and experiences in supporting employees with disability, including mental health conditions.
• Explore the free, sustainable supports and resources available to employ people with disability within your organisation.

When:  Thursday, 7 October 2021

Time:    1.00 pm to 2.15 pm – ACT, NSW, VIC and TAS
12.30 pm to 1.45 pm – SA
12.00 pm to 1.15 pm – QLD
11.30 am to 12.45 pm – NT
10.00 am to 11.15 am – WA

Where: Register to attend the webinar

RSVP:  Monday, 4 October 2021

• Access: This event will have live transcribing. You will be asked to provide any access requirements during the registration process. Interpreters and electronic copies of presentation are available on request.
• For more information or if you have any questions or require assistance, please contact us at JobAccess@workfocus.com.

Diversity and Inclusion Week – Register For Events Now!

• Don’t forget to register for online events running all week, 13-17 September (Week 8).

Underpinned by the Diversity and Inclusion Framework, the week celebrates our diverse community and strengthens our inclusive culture.

It’s about helping to create an environment of involvement, respect and connection through sharing and learning from one another.

Looking for Something Different to Do During Your Lunchtime?

There are online events running everyday at lunchtime (12 – 2pm) during Diversity and Inclusion Week 13–17 September.

• Monday – Understanding Intersectionality in the Learning Environment
• Tuesday – Spring Celebrations Across Cultures
• Wednesday – *Autism: A Personal Perspective, and Beyond Braille: Inclusive Tech for a Fairer World
• Thursday – Mentoring and Mental Health: Opening the Conversation, and *Understanding Autism
• Friday – Super Women

*Events hosted by Disability Support Services

Visit the Diversity and Inclusion Week website to find out more and to register for over 50 upcoming events. https://www.monash.edu/diversity-inclusion/week

There’s something for everyone so make sure not to miss out!

• Register for events now.

R U OK? Day – 9 September 2021

R U OK?Day  – Thursday 9 September.

Are You Really OK?

2020 & 2021 has been an exceptional year and many people (across the world) have been affected by these challenging events.

Holidays have been cancelled, dinner plans and home gatherings have had to be rescheduled and hair appointments have been pushed out.

That’s naming just a few adjustments we’ve made over the past 18 months.

On September 9 it is R U OK Day and although mental health is an ongoing health issue, it is always great to take a moment, make a cup of your favourite beverage, find a quiet space and pick up your phone to check in with a friend.

You yourself may not be feeling ok, and want someone to talk with. Or there may be a significant person in your life who has not coped well in lock down.

A single conversation can have a lasting impact and change a life.

Call a Loved One and Ask if They’re OK

So, on September 9, we ask our DSS and Monash community to call a loved one and –

1. Ask them if they are ok? This may feel like a tricky conversation, so here is a great website on how to start your dialogue
2. Listen actively to how they are feeling
3. Encourage positive action
4. Check in and follow up with your friend

Currently many parts of Australia are vaccinating their way out of lockdown and, whilst in Melbourne we are confined to our 5km limit, please know that you are not alone.

If you would like to talk with someone, there are some fantastic support resources you can reach out to.

• If you need support right now, please reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14 or you can make a free telehealth appointment with the Monash University Counselling services.

Best Mates Apply Monash Commerce Skills to Build Successful Disability Support Service

David Bookman and Ryan Kagan

Meet David and Ryan

*Meet David and Ryan and the team when they hold an exclusive session for Monash students where they will explain what disability support work is, how their service works and how to get involved with their business.

• Date: 22 September 2021
• Time: 11.00 – 12.00

*Register Now: bit.ly/ButtonsSupportServices

David Bookman and Ryan Kagan are best friends and business partners, using the skills and knowledge they have gained at Monash Business School to help improve the lives of people with disabilities.

The two Bachelor of Commerce students have launched Buttons Support Services, a thriving start-up matching support workers with people with disabilities through the NDIS.

They have come a long way since their final year of high school, when their top priorities outside studying were “footy and socialising”.

On the cusp of the pandemic in early 2020, the pair took a risk to launch Buttons Support after identifying what they saw as a gap in the market.

Buttons Support Services

Buttons Support Services aims to positively impact the lives of people with disabilities, and encourage young people to work in the sector as support workers.

The service’s ethos is to match children and adults with disabilities to age- appropriate, personality-specific support workers, which aims to build good, sustainable relationships and allow both parties to thrive.

The pair said since launching, Buttons Support Services rates had paid a collective $50,000 above industry award rates, to the support workers on their books.

“For far too long people with a disability and their families have yearned for relatable, authentic and reliable people to support them,” David says.

“Through Buttons, young adults are delivering this support, while injecting a new energy into the sector.

“Our aim is to make the support work role as accessible and comfortable as possible for young adults. If we can do a good job in supporting more young support workers to transition into this role, we as a community will be better for it.”

Desire to Make a Difference in Disability Support

For both students, the desire to make a difference in the disability support sector manifested during their school years.

After finishing VCE, David and Ryan both volunteered with Flying Fox Camps, a youth-led recreational camp network for special-needs kids, gaining their first experience of disabled advocacy.

Taking a gap year in 2016 before beginning their Bachelor of Commerce degrees, they also took up paid employment with Flying Fox, the camp network’s parent organisation which gives young people with disabilities positive social interactions and life-changing experiences.

Throughout their studies they balanced work in the disability sector with study commitments, before striking out on their own venture.

“When David and Ryan saw a problem in the disability sector they actively worked to solve it”
David says Flying Fox taught them “commerce/business and social change can be one and the same”.

“In-terms of learning opportunities, experience and personal fulfilment, I felt that starting our own business really ticked all those boxes,” David says.

“We constantly have to teach ourselves new skills, confront new challenges – which is extremely beneficial for a young professional.”

Ryan, who studied marketing as part of his degree, described launching a new venture in 2020 on the cusp of the pandemic as “an interesting environment”.

“(But) we kept our goal really simple: Validate the service. I think we have done that, and our focus now is scaling and creating new initiatives that cater to the needs of the industry,” he says.

“To have studied both finance and marketing has certainly enhanced my ability to create and grow a professional service, driven by passion and social change.”

Associate Professor Nicholas McGuigan, Director of Monash Business School’s Equity, Diversity and Social Inclusion portfolio, said the Business School celebrated initiatives such as Buttons.

“We are interested in advancing positive change across industries and we go out of our way to facilitate that type of development across our programs,” Associate Professor McGuigan said.

“When David and Ryan saw a problem in the disability sector they actively worked to solve it, launching Buttons Support Services as a dynamic, engaging organisation that partners with its young support workers and clients to bring about authentic relationships and reliable support to those in need.”

Register Now

• Date: 22 September 2021
• Time: 11.00 – 12.00
• Register Now: bit.ly/ButtonsSupportServices
• For more information go to the Button Support Services website, including how they contract Support Workers

You’re Invited to The 2021 Students with a Disability Super Fair

Your big break starts here!

TUESDAY, 28TH SEPTEMBER 2021

• 2:00PM to 4:00PM in NSW, QLD, ACT, VIC & TAS
• 1:30PM to 3:30PM in SA & NT
• 12:00PM to 2:00PM in WA

Who is this for?

The Students with a Disability Super Fair is for all students studying any degrees wanting to discover employers who have either a dedicated graduate program for students with a disability or offer otherwise attractive and inclusive opportunities.

Register Now!

How does it work?

This is an interactive virtual career fair designed to help you learn about graduate job and internship opportunities you can apply for. The fair is conducted via video conference and split into two parts.

First 30 minutes: Panel Sessions

Begin the fair by joining one of several Focus Sessions. These concurrent sessions will give you an opportunity to find out about the sector and collect some insider tips on how to succeed.

Next 1.5 hours: Exhibitor Sessions

For the remainder of the fair, you can meet employers live in their booth. This session is broken into three half an hour blocks. During each block, exhibitors may present on a topic, run speed interviews, or have open Q&A.

Who Will You Meet?

We’ve invited some of Australia’s best graduate employers to meet with you and share what a future working with them looks like.

Find out which Employers will be at the Fair!

Why Should You Attend?

Applying for graduate jobs is a bit like sitting your final exams; the lecturer usually gives away some handy tips in the final class!

Don’t Make the Mistake of Submitting Job Applications Without Being Prepared

Attend this event to meet the employers you already know about, discover new ones, and find out what recruiters are looking for in your job applications.

• This event is part of the Prosple Super Career Fair series.
• This series of virtual career events are being run collaboratively between Prosple, GradAustralia, participating Australian universities, and employers.
• These fairs are completely free for students. By attending these fairs, you give permission for Prosple to share your contact and attendance details with employers wanting to hire you and with your university.

Monash Sensory Science 2021 “My Goodness” Virtual Book Launch

On behalf of the Rossjohn Lab, Monash University is excited to present the virtual launch of the interactive, multisensory, science book called ‘My Goodness’. To view the online exhibition, please click here. Alternatively, you can visit the online exhibition here:

https://rossjohnlab.com/monash-sensory-science/

The ‘My Goodness’ book is designed specifically for Low-Vision, Blind, Hearing-Impaired Deaf and non-disabled audiences of all ages and science literacy.

The book focuses on the topic of infection, immunity, food, and nutrition, to align with the National Science Week 2021 theme honouring the United Nations International Year of Fruits and Vegetables.

Later in the year, Monash University will be hosting an in-person event where there will be an opportunity to experience 10 copies of the book in person.

Stay tuned for further details closer to the time.

2021 Internship Program with Cummins South Pacific for HR, Business and Marketing Undergraduates

Penultimate year students can apply now to gain 12 months paid real-world experience with leading global company Cummins South Pacific.

• Gain valuable career-relevant work experience
• Learn new skills
• Grow your knowledge of your chosen industry
• Develop networking and social skills
• Support provided throughout the program

Key Information

• Applicants must be studying Marketing, Business, HR, Commerce, Communications or Sales
• Applicants must have 1-8 study units left of their degree at the time of internship commencement (January 2022)
• Interns are expected to pause their studies to undertake the 12 month internship
• Applicants must have Australian Citizenship or Permanent Residency
• The positions are located in Scoresby, Melbourne but may proceed in a ‘work-from-home’ capacity

Click here to read the 4 position descriptions.

Applications close midnight Sunday 15th August 2021

These internships are facilitated through the Stepping Into Internship program and are exclusively available to students with disbility. This includes anyone with a mental health condition, injury, chronic illness, sensory impairment, learning disability, neurological condition or immunological condition.

• For more information contact the Australian Network on Disability at applications@and.org.au or 02 8270 9200.

Find Out More About Stepping Into Internships

“What I gained from the experience was more than what you gain from a job – I gained confidence. It’s something I now carry through my daily life and will throughout the rest of my career. Confidence to own my disability and talk about it. I can have conversations to create opportunities for myself and other people with disability” – Devni, Stepping Into intern at Arup

Read more about Devni’s internship experience here

About the Stepping Into Program:

Stepping Into is a paid work experience program for university students with disability. The Australian Network on Disability partners with leading Australian employers to provide meaningful work experience opportunities for students before they graduate.

Read more here!

Resources for Students with Disability

Australian Network on Disabilty has so many resources and opportunities for students with disability!

• PACE Mentoring – Free industry mentoring for students and jobseekers with disability.
• Jobseeker Toolkit – A variety of resources and factsheets to help you feel confident applying for jobs and attending interviews!
• How to Discuss Disability Management in the Workplace – When and how to bring up adjustment requests at different stages of the recruitment process.
• AND’s Employability Series Recordings – Hear from HR Professionals, LinkedIn Pros and Stepping Into Alumni in live recordings!

Monash Sensory Science Presents 10 Multisensory Science Books

Monash Careers Summit

In July 2021 Career Connect will be holding the annual Monash Careers Summit.

The week will consist of a series of interactive events facilitated from a group of leading professional and personal development thought leaders.

2021 Monash Careers Summit – register now!

This year’s event runs from 5 – 9 July and features a range of bespoke interactive sessions run by key industry professionals. The focus is not on the year level of students, but the stage of career development you find yourselves in; the Summit has something for everyone! 

Meet our stellar lineup of industry professional and personal development thought leaders:

• Yousef Shadid – Founder of GradShip and the best-selling author of “The GradGate”.
• Poorva Bhardwaj – direct from the team at Linked In Learning – she can teach you how to stand out!
• Josh Farr – Founder of Campus Consultancy, deliverer of x2 TEDx talks, and World Cup Judge for ENACTUS
• Gary Ryan – Founding Director of “Organisations that Matter”

For one week only, the virtual Monash Careers Summit will connect you directly with Industry and Monash Alumni!

This event will be interactive, and immersive; it is aimed at creating an inclusive environment for students as you progress through your journey of understanding employability, self and industry.

Browse and register for Summit events now.

Registrations are now open: http://bit.ly/MonashCareersSummit

Video: https://youtu.be/acgbC8dkXFo

GradWISE team Wins the NESA Innovation in Disability Employment Award

A big congratulations to our GradWISE team for receiving the NESA Innovation in Disability Employment Award at the National Employment Services Association (NESA) Excellence Awards in Canberra recently.

The program was nominated for their work of “bridging the transition from study to work for students with disability”.

Well done Ed and all the GradWISE team! A fantastic and well-deserved result.

• Go to the DSS website to find out more about GradWISE at Monash