Some of Our Parts

The Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research is seeking people who have studied at an Australian university while providing unpaid care and support to family members (of origin or choice) and/or friends who have a disability, mental illness, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue, or an older person with care needs.

The survey takes about 15-20 minutes.

This research is being conducted by La Trobe University’s Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research in collaboration with Carers Victoria.

The purpose of the study is to improve our understanding of the experiences of carers in higher education and to inform university policies and practices to better support carers to succeed at university.

Please click on this link to complete the survey: http://bit.ly/carersHE.

For more information please contact the researchers

• Lisa Andrewartha, Manager, Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research, l.andrewartha@latrobe.edu.au, (03) 9479 3447
• Giovanna Szalkowicz, Senior Research Officer, Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research, g.szalkowicz@latrobe.edu.au, (03) 9479 1869.

GradWISE Appointments Now Available at Clayton Campus

Exciting news! GradWISE appointments are now available at Clayton Campus on Tuesdays beginning February 4th, 2020 as well as Fridays at Caulfield Campus. 

To make an appointment email Edward today!  edward.osano@wiseemployment.com.au

Appointments are available:

Global Campaign Combats Disability Stereotypes and Stigma

ILO Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN) has launched a global campaign called #InvalidOpinions, to combat the stereotypes and stigma experienced by people with disability in the labour market.

Every day, people make generalisations and assumptions about people with disability. Most of these assumptions are wrong. The campaign highlights individuals who are defying these ‘invalid opinions’ every day. It asks the viewer to confront their own beliefs and misconceptions that might be inadvertently contributing to individuals being held back in the world of work.

A campaign ‘Pitch Package’ is available from the ILO website, including key messages, videos, suggested social media posts and other engagement ideas. Organisations are encouraged to localise and amplify the campaign through their own channels and networks.

“Together we can encourage everyone to think differently about disability, we can influence hiring decisions, and we can break the cycle.” (Excerpt from the #InvalidOpinions Pitch Package)

To read more and view the video, go to the Australian Network on Disability webpage.

Applications opening soon for Graduate Programs in 2021!

GradWISE has partnered with industry leaders, Telstra and PWC to help even the graduate employability outcomes for students living with a disability.

If you are a recent graduate or graduating in 2020, we have opportunities with Telstra and PWC that we can assist and support you with.

Applications Open February 2020

If you are interested in any of the below fields, this opportunity could be for you!

• Engineering
• Cyber Security
• Technology Consulting
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Data Analytics
• Information Technology
• Consulting
• Tax
• Legal
• Infrastructure

GradWISE complements existing support provided by Monash by offering a customised coaching program in a one-on-one setting. Its aim is to give you the skills and experience you need to find the perfect graduate role.

GradWISE will work with you, and its pool of employers, to make the perfect match and provide all the support you need before and during your employment.

Please get in contact with Ed Osano, Head of GradWISE, at edward.osano@wiseemployment.com.au if you are interested to apply!

Equity Fellowship – Research Associate Opportunity

David Eckstein, a careers practitioner for university students with disability and 2020 Equity Fellow at the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, is seeking to appoint a part-time researcher to assist with a research ethics application and the design, administration and analysis of national surveys, round table discussions and select university case studies. Payment is set within the Swinburne Academic A salary range up to ACA-6 (at Swinburne ACA-6).  Experience with conducting qualitative and quantitative analysis is required.

The start date for the project is February 2020.  The position would suit a current PhD candidate or post-doctoral researcher.

The Fellowship Project

The Fellowship project aims to add disability to the national conversation about graduate employment by identifying best-practice initiatives and developing open access tools for all universities to use. Graduate employability outcomes are not equitable for students with disability. In a rapidly changing labour market, they are likely to get worse without targeted efforts. Currently, few universities are proactively addressing this issue.

Swinburne is leading innovation with its AccessAbility Careers Hub, a partnership between Careers & Employability, AccessAbility Services and WISE Employment. Building on the experience of the Hub as well as primary data collection and consultation with key stakeholders across Australia, the Fellowship will provide evidence-informed guidance to universities to develop institutionally-specific strategies to support students with disability transition to the workforce.

A National Community of Practice

As an Equity Fellow, David will establish a national community of practice and host an inaugural summit on strategies to support graduate employment outcomes of students with disability. More details are available on the NCSEHE website.

To express your interest please email David Eckstein deckstein@swin.edu.au

Hearing Help for Bushfire Affected Communities across Australia

Hearing Australia has established an emergency hearing help service to support its clients and members of the community in bushfire affected areas across Australia.

Hearing Australia will help all people with hearing loss to have access to support during the bushfire crisis.

The service is available to anyone needing hearing help and includes:

• An emergency Helpline 1800 826 500 available 8.30am to 5.00pm AEST, seven days a week
• Access to emergency appointments to see a qualified audiologist at the nearest Hearing Australia centre
• Priority support services including hearing checks, replacement hearing aids and batteries
• Hearing Australia bus will visit communities in bushfire impacted areas when it is safe to provide hearing healthcare

Hearing Australia will work with government services like Centrelink and local organisations so that people living in bushfire affected areas know how to get help from Hearing Australia if and when they need it.

More information here.

A Comprehensive Guide to Making Your Conference Accessible

Zero Project has released a comprehensive guide that supports organisations to plan and deliver conferences that are accessible and inclusive of people with disability.

The Zero Project Conference Accessibility Guidelines provides detailed, practical advice on:

1. Preparing for your conference;
2. Making written and video material accessible;
3. Orientation at the conference venue;
4. Creating participatory and inclusive conference sessions; and
5. Communication after the conference.

To read more and get a copy of the guidelines, visit the Australian Network on Disability website.

Applications Open NOW for Mentoring Positions!

Please note that applications for Australian Network on Disability’s mentoring program, PACE Autumn 2020 are now open, and are closing at the end of February 2020.

Another Paid Internship Opportunity Available

AND has another paid internship opportunity available! The position is for 3 months with commencement in late-January 2020.

• Latrobe City Council (Morwell) – Organisational Development Officer Intern

The intern will provide professional and administrative support and assistance to the Organisational Development team. Main tasks would include:

• Sourcing and scheduling training
• Set up and pack up of training venue
• Ordering catering, purchase orders and general administration
• Administration of performance appraisal system
• Administration of learning management system
• Facilitate some training (i.e. corporate induction)
• Some travel required

The role is open to current University students in their penultimate or final year of study, and TAFE students studying a Cert IV or above. The role is also open to those who have recently graduated. If this sounds like you, or someone you know, please apply here or you can visit the Students page of the Connect50 website to apply or download the Position Description. Applications for the role are open until Sunday January 12^th 2020.

*P.S. From all of us at DSS, we hope you have a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year. Our office will re-open on 2 January 2020.

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.

Create Your Future – Showcasing People with Disability from a CALD Background

Create Your Future is a film project showcasing the successes and challenges experienced by people with disability from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds. These films aim to build aspiration for tertiary education and employment amongst those facing similar issues, and to create deeper and broader cultural understandings to encourage culturally safe, accessible and inclusive support services.

Original short films, made with and for people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, sharing personal stories from their own unique cultural perspective.

To view the films, and for more information, see the NDCO website.