If you are preparing to hire a worker with a disability, then there are a few things to consider ahead of time. You may be aware that there are many Government subsidies available to companies that onboard employees with a disability, but there are also other programs in place that can make the process of recruiting disabled workers much easier for employers.
This article will outline some of the supports available to businesses who decide to hire workers with a disability in Australia, and how Asuria can work with your business to empower you with a dynamic positive workforce.
As mentioned, there are various supports available to companies who hire workers with a disability in Australia. Let's go over some of the leading programs that can help your company prepare to onboard disabled workers.
JobAccess is an information service sponsored by the Australian Federal Government. It provides information about the various incentives and government services available to companies that employ workers who have a disability.
In addition to the website, JobAccess also features a telephone information/advisory service that offers employment solutions and advice to employers and disabled employees.
The JobAccess Employment Assistance Fund provides financial assistance to employers to help offset the cost of purchasing new equipment, making modifications to the workplace, and providing various additional services and supports to help accommodate current employees and new hires with a disability.
The Australian Human Rights Commission developed the IncludeAbility program to increase the number of gainful employment opportunities for job seekers who have a disability. The initiative is also intended to increase workforce participation for disabled workers. There are several supports available through the program that pertain to employers.
The Disability Employment Services (DES) program offers job search support to people who have a disability, injury or another health condition that requires specialist assistance. As an employer, you can designate a job opening for a worker with a disability via a DES service provider such as Asuria.
At Asuria, we specialise in working with employers and the government to find jobs for suitable, qualified candidates. There are a number of ways that working with Asuria can benefit your company, especially when you are looking to hire workers with a disability.
Asuria takes the time to understand your business
When working with an employer, Asuria takes the time to perform a vacancy profiling which involves meeting with you to understand your business and the requirements of the job. We then create a seeker profile for your specific business, which ensures that we’ll only match you with qualified, eligible candidates.
Asuria will provide you with a shortlist of qualified candidates
Once we’ve completed the vacancy profile and your seeker profile, we provide you with a shortlist of qualified candidates who meet your requirements and who will be a good match for the vacancy. This process saves you time and resources that you would otherwise allocate to recruitment.
Asuria makes it easy to access government assistance programs
When you work with Asuria, you will have dedicated support with accessing the various government assistance programs outlined above, including JobAccess, the Employment Assistance Fund, the IncludeAbility program and, of course, the Disability Employment Services (DES) program. You can also designate a job opening for a worker with a disability directly through us.
Asuria can help you access tools, equipment, and workplace modifications
When you hire a worker with a disability, it may be necessary to make a few modifications to your current work environment, such as installing wheelchair ramps, making washrooms accessible to disabled individuals and other such renovations. We can assist you with these modifications.
Additionally, when you work with Asuria to hire a disabled worker, you may also be able to access additional supports and resources such as tools, equipment, training, and licensing if required for the recruitment of workers with a disability.
Asuria offers the convenience of a single point of contact
Posting job vacancies online, sorting through resumes, narrowing a shortlist of eligible candidates, applying for each of the government assistance programs outlined above, and making workplace modifications are all time consuming, resource-intensive tasks that will require you to be in contact with a ton of different parties which can become confusing, and stressful.
When you work with us, you will be able to accomplish all of these tasks and will only need to deal with a single point of contact, which makes the entire process infinitely more manageable.
There are many different government and non-governmental supports and services available to employers when recruiting workers with a disability in Australia. By working with Asuria, you can access all of these different services and many other resources that would otherwise be very time-consuming and confusing to navigate.
To learn more about how we can work with your business, speak to an Asuria Employment Consultant today.