Find out how employers can benefit from the funding
The Victoria government is investing $2.1 million to the Inclusion Foundation's Impact21 programme in a bid to provide more employment opportunities for citizens with disability.
The Impact21 programme is the foundation's response to the high unemployment rate for people living with disability, which is three times higher than the average unemployment rate in the state.
"Reducing the barriers to gaining employment for people with disability benefits everyone and that's why we're backing this important programme," said Disability Minister Anthony Carbines in a statement.
The programme prepares people with disabilities to become work-ready graduates by training them with industry-relevant skills and giving them confidence and independence. It also helps them establish social connection with employers, including PwC, JB Hi-FI, and Sodexo.
"This programme is supporting young adults with intellectual disability to find purposeful work and giving them the opportunity to enjoy the independence and security a job can bring," said Carbines.
The programme on Monday, which also marks World Down Syndrome Day, saw 14 young adults graduating from the initiative.
According to a media release, 10 out of the 12 graduates from the programme's first batch are already employed with sustainable jobs.
Read more: Employers urged to hire more disabled workers
Andre Carvalho, chief executive officer of the Inclusion Foundation, said that the government's investment with Impact21 will also see employers benefitting from the programme's graduates.
"As a result of the funding, we now have young people with Down Syndrome earning real wages in real jobs and employers are benefitting from their unique skills and abilities," said Carvalho in a statement.
According to the CEO, the programme workers with employers and employees to "ensure long-lasting sustainable results that are good for people and good for business."
The programme also helps employers build their readiness, so they can become more confident and capable of "sustaining a diverse workforce," said the government's media release.
The $2.1-million investment of the Impact21 programme brings the government's total funding support to the initiative to over $3.3 million since November 2021.
According to the Labour government, it is just one of its initiatives under Jobs Victoria to help people with disability find jobs. Under the Jobs Victoria Fund, the government also grants employers with wage subsidies of up to $20,000 when they hire a person with disability.
Jobs Victoria is a government initiative that seeks to connect people with employers to support them in finding the right candidates and bosses. It also provides information, advice, and support to people whether in person, online, or on the phone.
