Employment Supports
Windarring offers high quality employment supports to people with a disability within our current service areas and beyond by assisting them to build their independence, skills, and confidence to prepare them for sustainable open employment.
Our employment coaches are highly experienced and have a strong local connection with community, local businesses, and other support organisations where we can use our networks to create a tailored and effective employment pathway that meets our job seekers goals.
What are the benefits of employment?
- Build confidence and self-esteem
- Gain financial independence
- Develop new skills
- Connect with your community
- Make new friends
- Improve sense of identity and belonging
Who can access employment supports?
Our employment supports service works with job seekers from 15 years old and above.
We can support you if you are:
- Still in school and looking for part time employment.
- In your senior years of schooling and wanting to start preparing to transition into work after school
- Working in a disability enterprise
- Unemployed – with or without employment history
- Employed – looking for extra skill building supports or looking for a better fit job.
Employment support can support anyone of all ages, experiences, and abilities. These supports will be customised to everyone and their needs, goals, and preferences.
Funding eligibility:
To access employment supports funding, job seekers will need to have employment as a goal in your NDIS plan. If they don’t already have employment as a goal in their NDIS plan, Windarring can support them to update their plan.
Job seekers who are aged 17 to 22 who have School Leavers Employment Supports funding, can use this funding for this service.
Windarring can work with job seekers on assessing their eligibility for employment supports and school leavers employment supports funding.
How does it work?
Windarring will work with the job seeker to get to know all about them, their goals, interests, and needs to support them on their journey to employment. This journey will look different for every single person.
Process of Employment Supports:
Part #1 Discovery:
- Learning about you, your goals, interests, and needs
- Visiting you in your home and exploring your neighbourhood
- Building relationships with your friends and family
Part #2 Capacity Building Support Plan:
Building an individualised support plan to help you build your employment skills in:
- Travel training
- Computer literacy
- Money management
- + more
Part #3 Work experience/Volunteering/Work:
- Developing a vocational profile/resume
- Visitng workplaces for informational Interviews
- Engaging in work experience opportunities to build Your skills and experience
Part #4 Disability Employment Service (DES):
Windarring will engage you with our trusted DES Provider. Windarring will support with you during this process as well as your new employer and provide on the job support and advocacy.
Evidence based model: Customised Employment
Windarring use the customised employment model for our employment supports, which is a person-centered employment approach that focuses on the strengths, interests, and needs of the individual by working with participants to find vocational pathways and strengthen the job seekers skill base for sustainable employment.
Customised employment focuses on capacity building and is a skill building process. It does not involve immediate placements, and instead focuses on building skills of the individual to develop, progress and transition into a customised employment position that is sustainable long term.
The evidence behind the model is proven to work as it focuses on a set of universal principles and strategies that are specifically designed to support both sides of the labor force – the employee and the employer. It works with both the job seekers and employers to design and create job opportunities that match the individual’s strengths and skills, whilst still meeting the needs of the employer. Focusing on 1:1 supports, customised employment works closely with the job seekers family, friends, and community, to support the individual to achieve their desired career pathway.
Service areas
Windarring’s employment supports Office is located at 18 Hamilton Street, Gisborne, however employment supports are available to those in the below service areas and beyond:Still in school and looking for part time employment.
- Bendigo
- Castlemaine
- Maryborough
- Kyneton
- Gisborne
- Sunbury
- Melton
- Bacchus Marsh
- + surrounding areas
Career Support Network:
Windarring run a Career Support Network, where all job seekers who are receiving employment supports can attend once per month to engage in social and teamwork activities to build job skills, such as role plays for job interviews, building teamwork skills and community visits to put these learned skills into practice.
Our Career Support Network also re-enforces the importance of social supports and networks, and emphases on the value of peersupport and learning. It is a space where job seekers can share their learnings, skills, and experiences with their peers, which can support others to learn and feel normalized for their experiences.
Employers who would like to get involved:
If you are an Employer who is willing to partner with Windarring on offering work experience and volunteer opportunities to our job seekers, we would love to hear from you.
Windarring supports the job seeker, and the employer. This means we ensure that all job seekers are ready for work experience with relevant employment skills, while focusing on matching their skill base, strengths, and interests to customise a work experience position that also meets your business needs.
Our work experiences typically go for a 6 week period but are customised to each person and business.
There are many great reasons why you should hire somebody with a disability, and here is just a few:
- You are helping build the individuals skill base and experience whilst supporting them to meet their employment goals.
- Employment adds a sense of purpose and value to a persons life
- Promotes a diverse workplace and culture
Most importantly, you will have a dedicated, reliable member in your team who will be able to offer a range of different skills and experience to your business.
Enquire Today: