Tapping into diverse labour market makes good business sense

An integral part of The Personnel Group’s role in finding meaningful work for people with barriers is building employer confidence.

While most employers understand the advantages of having a diverse workforce, promoting the many benefits of employing a person with a disability goes hand-in-hand with what we do as a regional not-for-profit provider.

The Personnel Group’s ongoing post-employment support means our clients can solve most labour supply problems.
Hiring is rarely a flawless process. Trepidation is understandable, there may be concerns over the increased cost and time required to educate, support and help a new employee with a barrier.

As an employment service provider, it is our job to support and help jobseekers we transition to meaningful employment.

The Personnel Group’s workplace support consultants can be on-site with new employees as they learn the ropes, at no cost to the business.

Equally important, if workplace changes would allow a person with disability to do a job, The Personnel Group can take the lead as well.

We can help to apply for funding through the federal government’s JobAccess Employment Assistance Fund.

The fund covers workplace modifications, equipment or services workers with a disability need to perform their job.

For example, The Personnel Group worked with Brody, his employer and JobAccess to ensure Brody was properly equipped to do his job at a central Victorian engineering business.

Brody had one of his legs amputated and had not worked before.

The Personnel Group visited the employer to discuss the barriers Brody faced, and then put a case to JobAccess for EAF money to provide Brody his own walk-behind forklift, a special stool for welding and a hydraulic metal press.

It means Brody now has job security and is able to support his family, and his employer has a loyal and long-term worker.

It’s a similar story for John, who spent most of his working life as a courier, before pre-existing health conditions forced him out of the driver’s seat.

A hip replacement and significant lower back pain limit his physical capabilities. However, it did not stop him.
About 18 months ago John started work as a bakery kitchenhand.

For John to reach his full work potential, The Personnel Group applied for funding to buy a stair climbing trolley, which has allowed John to carry heavy bags of flour up and down a staircase, an anti-fatigue mat, as well as modifications to the commercial kitchen area.

The adjustments improved John’s efficiency, who has been promoted to a supervisor and trainer role.

There are many stories like Brody and John’s, which proves that putting aside preconceptions opens up a wider, and more diverse, labour market.

For employers struggling to fill vacancies, that makes good business sense.

John Gibbons,
CEO, The Personnel