The NDIS’ rollout continues, and is set to allow Australians with disabilities more choices in how they chose to live their lives. In some cases, this will result in pursuing more vocational training or entering the workforce in different ways.
Planning & development manager at Community Workforce Innovations (CWI) Anne Stasiak told
HC that employers may wish to turn their attention to the group training/shared employment model and ensure they are prepared to offer accommodation to disabled workers.
“The nature of a disability can affect the way in which services are delivered,” she explained. “Sometimes you don’t get a full day’s work, you might get an hour in the morning and an hour at night.”
Through shared employment, organisations can ensure they get a full day’s work through employing a number of workers in this manner. Essentially, a role may be filled by three or four workers, who are coordinated to each fill part of the day’s work.
Group training/shared employment in detail
The group training/shared employment model is well known in traineeships and apprenticeships, although in some sectors it is yet to see a high degree of take-up. Essentially, the system functions by an entity such as CWI employing workers, and then farming them out to host employers who pay a billable rate per hour for the work done. In effect, group training/shared employment companies act as agencies of sorts.
Australian Training Company (ATC) breaks down the benefits of utilising group training/shared employment as:
- No long term contracts.
- The future possibility of taking on an employee full-time.
- Training arranged and monitored.
- Payroll, superannuation, leave and other employer obligations handled by the group training/shared employment company.
Would you be interested in exploring this model in the corporate world? Perhaps you have already? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
