A Disability Employment Centre of Excellence should achieve meaningful change that will improve work outcomes for people with disability. It should complement, not complicate, programs that support employment including Disability Employment Services (DES), NDIS, the Community Development Program and Workforce Australia.
A critical factor in achieving an effective ecosystem of support for inclusive employment will be the co-design of a new DES model. Among other concerns, DES inadequately services regional, rural and remote regions, episodic mental health conditions and cases of co-morbidity.
It is encouraging that business, government and the disability community agree that we need to improve outcomes for people with disability and employers, and improve the capacity of employment service providers. We look forward to continuing this important discussion and being involved in ongoing steps to create inclusive workforces across all parts of our country.
Read our full submission to the Department of Social Services, here.