National Disability Employment Strategy
The Australian Government, through the Department of Social Services, is developing a National Disability Employment Strategy (the Employment Strategy) to increase employment opportunities for people with disability. The Employment Strategy will focus on four priority areas:
- Lifting employer engagement, capability and demand: providing employers with the tools and abilities to confidently hire, support and develop more people with disability.
- Building employment skills, experience and confidence of young people with disability: ensuring young people with disability are supported to obtain meaningful work and careers of their choice.
- Improving systems and services for jobseekers and employers: making it simpler for job seekers with disability and employers to navigate and utilise government services, and driving better performance from service providers.
- Changing community attitudes: changing people’s perception and expectation about the capability of people with disability in the workplace.
The Employment Strategy will be a key element of the new National Disability Strategy, which seeks to create a more inclusive society, where people with disability can fulfil their potential as equal citizens.
The Department of Social Services undertook a public consultation process to inform development of the Employment Strategy during April/May 2021. Details and publically available submissions can be found at engage.dss.gov.au.
Disability Employment Advisory Committee
The Government has established the Disability Employment Advisory Committee (DEAC), which will inform the development of the Employment Strategy.
DEAC membership includes, people with disability, employers, service providers and peak bodies, to ensure the Employment Strategy addresses the barriers preventing people with disability from securing and retaining a meaningful employment.
Please see below for full list of DEAC membership.
Disability Employment Advisory Committee Membership
Joint Chairs
Dylan Alcott OAM - Founder, Dylan Alcott Foundation and Get Skilled Access
Simon McKeon AO - Chancellor of Monash University and Founder of MS Research Australia
Committee Members
Dr. Ben Gauntlett - Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission
Carolyn Frohmader - Executive Director, Women With Disabilities Australia
Dani Fraillon - Chief Operating Officer, Get Skilled Access
Donna Bain - General Manager, Self Help Workplace
Garry Terrill – Chief Operating Officer, Australian Retailers Association and Director, Retail Institute
Ian Tsolakis - Group Disability Employment Manager, Crown Resorts
Innes Willox - Chief Executive, Australian Industry Group
Jody Barney - Owner/Manager, Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy
Kerrie Brewer - General Manager, Foundation and Community, Hawthorn Football Club
Kerry McQuillan - State Director (QLD) and National Lead (Diversity and Inclusion), Randstad
Professor Patrick McGorry AO - Executive Director, Orygen and Founding Director, National Youth Mental Health Foundation (headspace)
Rachel Mead – Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Woolworths Group
Sally Sinclair - CEO, National Employment Services Association
Teresa Pilbeam - National Coordinator, Early Days and Indigenous Liaison Programs, Autism Queensland Limited
Thérèse Campbell - Chairperson, Disability Employment Australia
Australian Government Representatives
Department of Social Services
Department of Education, Skills and Employment
National Disability Insurance Agency
Services Australia
Disability Employment Advisory Committee Terms of Reference
Contact
For any further information on the Employment Strategy or Disability Employment Advisory Committee, please contact the Disability Employment Policy Team on DEP@dss.gov.au.
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