The Disability Employment Expo is a way to connect with employers and find out what work life is like for people with disabilities. This is a sponsored post.

THIS June 30, Feros Care is hosting the “Step 2 Disability Employment Expo”, an opportunity to connect with employers and get an insight into what working life looks like for people with disability. 

Located in the Apollo Room at the Hellenic Club of Canberra, guests will be able to learn about life after school, volunteering and social enterprises, discover skill-building ideas and connect with disability and school leaver employment services. 

The event will run from 10am-3pm and will feature guest speakers sharing their expertise and knowledge from 11am to 2pm. 

“Even though employment is a key element to gain independence, for people with disability, the pathway to employment and retaining a job can be complicated,” says community development coordinator Matthew Bush.

“This year, in the first week of the ACT school holidays, Feros Care has coordinated the Step 2 Expo to bring together all of the information, resources, services, and more to ensure people can connect and engage face-to-face and source the information they need.”

Outside of the expo Feros Care helps link people with disabilities to the NDIS, and to community services and activities to support them to live the life they want.

Matthew says it’s about helping people live bolder lives. 

“Feros Care has seen firsthand the difference that’s made to everyday lives of participants,” he says.

“Everyone has different aspirations and we want to help people achieve theirs.”

Matthew says Feros Care is the NDIS local area coordination partner in the community for the ACT and has been operating since 2017.

“Our mission is to truly understand what is important to our clients, to create and deliver an experience that goes above and beyond expectations,” says Matthew.

“We encourage people to dream big and work together to help others realise their dreams, no matter how big or small.

“Every individual plays an important role in contributing to our mission. At Feros Care everyone matters.”

Disability Employment Expo, at the Hellenic Club of Canberra, 10am-3pm, June 30. Call Feros Care on 1300 986970, email feroslac@ndis.gov.au or visit feroscare.com.au

Finding people jobs to care about 

SELF++ supports people on the autism spectrum and those with other mental and physical disabilities to find employment they’re passionate about, says CEO Jonathan Laloz.

“We dig deep to find their core values and what drives them so that they can find work they enjoy,” he says.

He says he’s certainly seen this with Ethan, a young man with level three Autism Spectrum Disorder who came and worked in his Lego shop.

“He started off doing very simple stuff and gradually built his skills up to the point where he runs the day-to-day operations of the business,” says Jonathan.

“His attention to detail is very high. After employing him the number of errors in orders went significantly down and customer service went up.

“He’s increased in confidence, has come out of his shell, and he’s now teaching others how to do what he does.”

Jonathan says there’s a lot of stigmatism around hiring people with disabilities and it’s something Self++ aims to break down.

“We want to help employers see the advantages in hiring someone with a disability,” he says.

“Everyone has that special talent, it’s just about finding and tapping into it.”

Self++, call 5104 3356 or visit selfplus.plus

Building confidence through coaching

HAVING operated in Canberra for 26 years, Nexus Human Services has the contacts and connections to help people with disability and mental illness find employment, says CEO Lisa McPherson.

“People with disabilities can do all kinds of different jobs,” she says.

“We help them find entry-level jobs all the way through to working with the public service to get them into higher level work.”

An official provider of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Nexus allocates an employment coach who personally helps individuals prepare for employment, says Lisa.

“That could include anything from developing resumes to self-confidence training to assisting with interviews, and they also talk to businesses about the benefits of employing people,” she says.

“We’ll have a few coaches and a manager at the Disability Employment Expo to give people information and work with them through the intake process.”

Lisa says Nexus also has employers coming to them for people who they match up with those looking for jobs.

“It’s not about employing someone with a disability, it’s about employing someone with the right attitude and skills to fit with the business,” she says.

Nexus Human Services, 67/68 10 Lonsdale Street, Braddon. Call 1800 163987 or visit nexushumanservices.com.au

Support organisation has a proud history

ESTABLISHED almost 70 years ago by two local mums wanting better support for their sons with disability, Koomarri has now grown to help hundreds of people and their families across Canberra and Queanbeyan, says CEO Nadine Stephen.

Thanks to a new, evidence-based, customised employment model, she says Koomarri is working closely with businesses and individuals to create great success stories.

“What we’ve found is that businesses large and small, private and government, all want to support employment of people with a disability but many are not quite sure how to do it,” she says.

“We supply as much or as little support as the person needs but also as much or as little support as the business needs. We stay with the employee and the employer for as long as possible and sometimes that’s for the entire working career.”

Nadine says Koomarri currently has a long list of people who are willing, capable and able to economically contribute to the Canberra community.

“We are calling out to any business looking to support and employ someone with a disability,” she says.

“We encourage anyone to come have a chat with us at the disability employment expo.”

Koomarri, 25 Launceston Street, Phillip. Call 6280 6143 or visit koomarri.com.au

Services that support people with disabilities