Some of Our Parts

The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development has now opened applications for our 2017 Graduate Development Program. From roads to local government funding, airport security to large scale shipping, urban planning to transport logistics, the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development really is shaping Australia’s future. You could be involved in:

• Providing advice on Native Title requests in relation to airports and aerodromes;
• Supporting the Aviation Access Forum;
• Facilitating aviation infrastructure upgrade works for select Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community airstrips;
• Aboriginal community consultations in relation to the proposed Western Sydney Airport at Badgery’s Creek; or
• Administration of the Jervis Bay Territory and other Australian external territories.

With the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development Graduate Program you will:

• Begin your career as an APS 3 – an entry level above that of interns and trainees;
• Complete three rotations across the Department that will keep you engaged in a variety of projects;
• Undertake a graduate certificate in Public Administration;
• Participate in a graduate interstate industry tour to see the work of the Department in action; and
• Be involved in the running of the Department’s Social Club, giving you plenty of networking opportunities.

On top of all that, on successful completion of the Graduate Development Program you will advance two levels to become an ongoing APS 5, a more senior classification. With this head-start, you are well on your way to establishing a successful career.

Along the way, you will be supported within the Department’s structured learning environment. We have specific mentoring initiatives to develop the workforce skills of people with disability. Our Infrastructure Disability Engagement Alliance (IDEA) is a supportive network and, if you choose to join it, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the Department’s strategies, policies and programmes in relation to people with disability. The Department is also a Gold Member of the Australian Network on Disability.

We are committed to supporting the employment and career development of people with disability, and will be participating in the APS RecruitAbility scheme for the Department’s 2017 Graduate Development Program. This means that applicants who identify as having a disability, opt into the RecruitAbility scheme and meet the minimum requirements of the vacancy will be progressed to the next stage in the recruitment process. For more information have a look at the factsheet attached.

If you would like to find out more about the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development’s Graduate Development Program and application process, visit our website or contact our Entry Level Recruitment Team

(02 6274 6161 or entrylevel@infrastructure.gov.au).

We also provide regular updates on the recruitment process on our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DoITgradprogram), so jump on and like our page.

We would like to have a photo of students registered with Disability Support Services (DSS) for the DSS home webpage. It will also be used for stand up banners used at event, on the window in the walkway on Level 1 of the Clayton Campus Centre (between the main building and the western annexe), as well as on other promotional materials.

We want the photo to include actual students at Monash, rather than a stock photo.

The photo will be taken on Clayton Campus, Friday 18 March at 11.30pm.

If you would like to be in the photo, please complete the expression of interest form.

The Making Experience Count eBook is a collection of 12 personal stories aimed at sharing helpful information and resources for mature age job seekers with disability.

Developed by the Inner Melbourne VET Cluster (IMVC) National Disability Coordination Officer Programme – the Making Experience Count eBook showcases 12 success stories of mature age workers with disability (aged 45+), who have successfully transitioned from unemployment to employment.

Funded by the Australian Government, the National Disability Coordination Officer (NDCO) Program works strategically to assist people with disability access and participate in tertiary education and subsequent employment, through a national network of regionally based NDCOs.

Available for free from www.imvc.com.au the stories contained provide rich personal experiences about the challenges and obstacles overcome to achieve dreams.

With a comprehensive Resource Index the book also highlights resources and services that may be helpful to people with disability – providing insight and links to further information for those looking to work, study or up-skill.

Inspiring stories featured include artist and MS Ambassador Justine Martin, Gold Medal Paralympian and Order of Australia recipient Carol Cooke, and Director of online learning website The Course Bank, Martin Stow.

Delivering the NDCO Programme for Regions 11 (Inner and Northern Metropolitan Melbourne) and 13 (Eastern Metropolitan Melbourne); IMVC is committed to the social inclusion of all, and is passionate about providing opportunities for the wider community to enhance capabilities in applied learning and education, training and employment.

IMVC provides employment, training and re-engagement programs and case management services for Melbourne’s diverse community: including youth with disability, youth at risk, disengaged youth, refugees and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

For more information visit: www.imvc.com.au

***Apply online by 31 March 2016***

What is PACE?

PACE is the Australian Network on Disability’s vibrant and dynamic mentoring program offering students with disability the opportunity to develop skills and confidence in a workplace setting, as well as personal and professional development.

During the mentoring program activities may include:

> Reviewing resume and cover letters

> Mock interviews

> Worksite visits

> Networking with other professionals

> Building confidence

Participation is free to students and jobseekers and is generously sponsored by ANZ. The program runs in two three-month streams – April to July, and September to December.

Why become a PACE Mentee?

“I was blessed to have such a great mentor in Jamie,” says Joseph.  “He gave me great career advice. He was fair and realistic in the types of roles I should be applying for, explaining how these roles would put me in a strong position to progress up the career ladder. This allowed me to pin point the roles I needed to target.”

– PACE Mentee, Joseph

Which organisations are involved?

The opportunities vary for each stream so it is best to get in early with your application. Participating organisations include:

–     ANZ

–     IBM

–     NAB

–     Cummins South Pacific

–     QBE

–     Legal Aid

–     Department of Immigration and Border Protection

–     Department of Infrastructure

Take Positive Action towards Career Engagement in 2016.

Apply for PACE now!

The Disability Leadership Scholarship Program is an initiative from the Department of Justice and Regulation’s Disability Action Plan. The program aims to achieve a long-term increase in the number of qualified people with a disability employed across all areas and all levels of the public service. The 2016 program will be offering a limited number of scholarships for people with a disability in Victoria in the following areas of study:

• law
• criminology
• para-legal
• psychology
• social work
• other justice-related fields.

A scholarship for study at diploma, advanced diploma, bachelor, and postgraduate level will be offered at a tertiary institution within Victoria.

The scholarship will be awarded on a merit principle, taking into account an applicant’s eligibility, past academic results, ability to complete a course of study, and competitiveness against other scholarship applicants.

The scholarship program will provide eligible students with a fortnightly study allowance to study full-time or part-time to complete up to a maximum of 2 years of an undergraduate or postgraduate course.

For information on Application, Eligibility and Selection, visit the website.

I CAN on ABC

Earlier this month, the I CAN Network was featured on ABC’s Australia Wide, and we have had a fantastic response. They interviewed many of our mentors and mentees, and perfectly captured the direct impact that we are having on schools, as well as individuals. Our feature begins at 14:30!

Watch now.

Current Opportunities

Working for I CAN is an experience like no other! We’re Australia’s first social enterprise established by people with Autism. We have a range of roles available, including a new Camp Logistics Coordinator role!

Learn more here.

Chris Varney in the SMH

In case you missed it: last month, our Chief Enabling Officer wrote a piece for the Sydney Morning Herald. Here’s an excerpt:

“The Senate report may be bleak, but I have great expectations for the future. My generation of Australians on the spectrum, and the generations after me, are increasingly rejecting the stuffy textbooks on autism and driving a more positive rethink. This is where the wind is blowing. Public awareness is taking us into a future in which teachers, lecturers and principals will disclose that they are on the spectrum. This future is in today’s classrooms. So principals, think big for your students with a disability. Your school and our future will benefit.”

Read more here.

Grapevine

This month, we discuss our media appearances, shine a spotlight on two people from our movement, and have a guest post from I CAN mentor, Carla Burns.

Read more here.

Willing and Able Mentoring (WAM) program – apply now

*Mentee applications for Semester 1 close 5 pm, 20 March 2016

Positive Action towards Career Engagement (PACE) program – apply now

Accessibility in the cloud – benefits, issues and trends

As a new survey shows an increase in the use of the cloud in 2016, the impact of this on people with disabilities and impairments becomes ever more important. Media Access Australia has produced a white paper, Accessibility of Cloud Computing – current and future trends, which provides valuable insights into cloud accessibility.

Video advertisements on Facebook to be auto-captioned

Facebook will roll out a new feature to make auto-playing advertisements more accessible to people who are Deaf or hearing impaired, using captioned video instead of auto-playing content with sound. The feature is being introduced following a survey that found 80 percent of people react negatively when loud ads play automatically within the content feed.

Class action launched in the US demanding captioned lyrics

Nine deaf advocates and individuals have launched a class action against a number of Hollywood Studios, including Disney, Sony, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros and Universal Studios, for failing to caption song lyrics in movies and TV programs.

Accessibility article

Are you wasting your time creating an accessible PDF?

The collective knowledge around the creation of accessible PDFs is slowly but surely growing, making this flexible format more widely available to people of all abilities. But what if you make your PDF accessible, yet someone still finds it inaccessible because of the way they open it? Accessibility Services Manager, Ally Woodford, explains how to ensure your documents are accessible to users of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome, providing important tips to guarantee readers can engage with your PDF content effectively.

Useful resource of the week

Learn about Australian legislation and policy, as well as international regulations for access, in Media Access Australia’s Research & Policy area. You can also find ourresearch and reports, white papers and guides available to download in accessible Word and PDF formats in this section.

Submit your completed colouring masterpiece to Disability Support Services (DSS) and you could win a prize!

The best example of colouring‐in (as judged by DSS staff) will win first prize of a 500 piece Kaleidoscope Colouring Jigsaw with 12 Artist’s colour pencils.

The runner‐up will receive second prize of a multi‐level creative colouring book, ‘Positively Zen’.

*Conditions of Entry*

Please submit your finished colouring design, with your name and Monash student ID written on the back, to Disability Support Services Clayton office at Level 1, Western Annexe, 21 Chancellors Walk (the Campus Centre) no later than 5:00 pm, Friday 26 February 2016.

Pictures of the winning entries will be featured on the DSS Blog, ‘Some of Our Parts’. Prize winners will be notified via email by Monday, 7 March 2016. Any currently enrolled Monash student can enter. Multiple entries will be accepted!

Are you a Monash student with a disability, medical condition or mental health condition that may impact on your studies?

You are welcome to drop in to the Disability Support Services office at Clayton campus, or phone us during Orientation Week for a private discussion with an Adviser about services available.

Date: Monday 22 February – Thursday 25 February 2016

Time: 2pm – 4pm

Location: Level 1, 21 Chancellors Walk, Western Annexe, Clayton Campus centre

NOTE: If you cannot visit us in person, please call on 03 9905 5704 or visit our website.

Available services include:

• Alternative Exam Arrangements
• Notetakers and Auslan interpreters
• Alternative Formatting of learning materials
• Equipment loans
• Library assistance