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Have you heard of the National Disability Insurance Scheme?

If you haven’t, that’s OK. It’s a hot topic at the moment. It’s new legislation intended to help people living with disabilities get the support they need to live a high quality of life. They too should have the right to realise their potential, make their own choices and be in control of decisions that affect their life. Sounds pretty good? This is where you come in.

Australia needs a lot of qualified people to provide that support. The first stage of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will benefit more than 20,000 people living in South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, Hunter in NSW and the Barwon region in Victoria. That means there are a lot of jobs being created in those areas in the disability support industry. People are working hard to get trained to fill those positions. If you’re interested in a rewarding career spent helping your community, read on to find out more!

You should get in quick to do your Certificate 3 in Disability Work course

The Certificate III in Disability Work is one of the most popular courses for starting a career in disability support services. You’ll learn the skills you need to succeed in front line roles actively providing support and services for people living with disabilities. One training organisation in NSW, where the NDIS is already being implemented, is reporting a surge in demand for their community care training courses. They’re struggling to keep up with demand, so it’s worth getting in early to avoid missing out!

The Certificate III in Disability course runs for one year, and will open up opportunities to work as a disability service worker, community care worker, disability support worker, home care assistant or personal care giver. You’ll also have opportunities to work with people of all ages. There is demand for qualified carers to assist with children, all the way to the very elderly living in nursing homes.

Students taking disability support courses are reporting that they often get job offers before completing their course. In some cases they’ve already found positions working part-time in the aged care, disability and community sector. Some students have cited demand created by the NDIS as their motivation for starting their training but also have a strong desire to provide quality care for the disabled.

How start you career in the disability services sector?

You can get started by inquiring with a registered training organisation that offers the course. You can find more information by visiting Inspire Education’s disability course page. Taking an online course is one of the fastest ways to get your training underway, since there is no wait for a course commencement date. Enrol today and you can be started on the way to your new career in no time at all.
Source: Disability care course proves popular

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National Disability Insurance Scheme

As the National Disability Insurance Scheme starts to come into effect in many parts of Australia, many disabled persons will finally get the support they need to realise their potential, have access to more choices in how they live and be in control of their lives.

Part of that potential is the ability to pursue a career in the area of their choice, and benefit from the personal satisfaction and financial freedom a job can give. Not only would this be good for individuals, but there are significant benefits for the country as well.

Disabilities Employment Opportunities

Recently released data from the Australian Network on Disability indicates that by simply increasing the workforce participation rate for people with a disability by just 10% would create an overall increase of $40 billion in Australia’s GDP over a decade. This would more than offset the cost of running the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Disabilities: Who Is Current Employed?

Commissioned and undertaken by Deloitte Access Economics, the report indicates that working age Australian’s living with a disability are an under utilised resource – more than three quarters of the 2.2 million individuals are able to work, but only 54% are actually employed. This compares to an 83% workforce participation rate among working age Australians without a disability. A 10% increase in the workforce participation rate among disabled persons, to 64%, would achieve the $40 billion boost.

Lack of skills or willingness are not the limiting factors – rather, the major obstacles to participation in the workforce for people with disability include employer misconceptions, lack of support and overly complicated employment programs run by the government.

Disabilities: How Can We Improve Employment Rates

In order to achieve these benefits, more effective work placement programs need to be developed to bridge the gap between employers and employees. There are even significant benefits to choosing an employee with a disability over other workers – research has shown that recruitment costs are often lower, attendance is better, there is typically less workplace health and safety incidents and productivity is equal or greater.

The report used the Australian Bureau of Statistics definition of ‘disability’ – ‘any limitation, restriction or impairment which restricts everyday activities and has lasted or is likely to last for at least six months’ which includes conditions such as speed difficulties, loss of sight, loss of hearing, difficultly learning or understanding, a disfigurement or deformity, incomplete use of limbs and appendages such as fingers or feet.

Mental illness or other conditions requiring help or supervision is also included, as is long-term effects of head injury, stroke or other brain damage, chronic pain or discomfort causing restriction and blackouts, fits or loss of consciousness among others.

Australian Disabilities Employment

Currently Australia is trailing behind other economically developed countries in employing people with a disability. Australia is ranked 21st of out 29 OECD countries when it comes to employing people with a disability – only 17% of Australians place a focus on hiring disabled people as part of their workforce.

With the potential for significant social and personal benefits for individuals, their communities and the country as a whole, perhaps it should be made a higher priority in Australian society. Many of the systems are already in place, it only requires that they be made more effective and an emphasis placed on getting people with a disability, who are willing and able to work, back into employment and enjoying the rewards it brings.

Sources:

$40 billion economic boost predicted if more people with disability employed

Report – The economic benefits of increasing employment for people with disability

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