If you have a disability but don’t have a job, you might be wondering if there is any chance you can enter the workforce, be a contributor and earn an income. While there are certainly more challenges and fewer options, with the right assistance and armed with the knowledge of programs out there that can help you, there is every chance of achieving the goal of gainful employment.
Let’s look at what help is available for anyone facing employment challenges and what disability employment services Australia has to offer. There is help available. It’s just a matter of knowing what to look for.
Two Government Schemes To Be Aware Of
DES is a government initiative designed specifically to assist people with disabilities to gain entry to the workforce. DES is broken down into 2 schemes:
- Employment Support Service
- Disability Management Service
If you are disabled and really desire to get working again, checking out the DES scheme is a great place to start.
Look Into Wage Subsidy Schemes
Once you look further into the government’s DES scheme, you’ll discover that there are also wage subsidy schemes to entice employers to hire people with disabilities. Because the financial risk to the employer is vastly reduced under the scheme, they are more inclined to give a person with a disability a chance. Basically, the government pays a part of your wage and the employer makes up the difference.
A second scheme to take note of is the Supported Wage System. Depending on the job and the disability, physically challenged employees may take longer than an able-bodied person to perform the same task. For this reason, under SWS, people with a disability are paid based on their productivity rather than time.
Both of these schemes offering disability employment support help open doors to gaining entry into the workforce.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Providing help for family members and carers of people with disabilities, NDIS is also designed to help disabled people go after their goals and achieve them. NDIS is there to help you get into the workforce, but also to assist you in managing your disability whilst doing your job. For school leavers with a disability, NDIS has a special workforce-ready system to assist in the transition from school to employment.
Get Help Through a Jobactive Provider
Jobactive providers work with the unemployed and people with disabilities to help them find work. It’s another government initiative to offer disability employment services and provide assistance on a number of levels.
You will receive disability job support from your Jobactive provider in offering training so you can become more job-ready, giving you access to computers and other equipment and taking a very hands-on approach in helping you find a suitable position in the workforce.
Various government support systems were mentioned earlier in the article. Your Jobactive service provider can explain these schemes to you in greater detail and help you avail of the assistance available.
Jobactive providers can also organise for you to undergo health assessments to determine what role you can conceivably play in the workforce and which positions you might be more suited to.
Two assessments you can access are:
- Job Capacity Assessment (JCA)
- Employment Services Assessment
Having a Jobactive provider going into bat for you with potential employers will really increase your chances of landing a job.
You’re definitely not alone in your quest to find a job. In this regard, your Jobactive team members will become your greatest allies.
Other Things You Can Do To Help Yourself Get a Job
See if you can find any relevant social groups in your area. If you can, you’ll be able to talk with other people who have disabilities and they may have some ideas or contacts that can help you out in your job hunt.
Also, don’t forget that you can receive fortnightly payments from Centrelink to cover your living expenses while you’re looking for work. If you find some accredited courses at TAFE or online, you can also receive the JobSeeker payment while you are doing your studies.
The Takeaway
If you suffer from a disability and want to get a job, there is actually quite a lot of assistance available. So don’t go it alone. Seek support anywhere you can find it.
