This month people working in a variety of roles across the Victorian disability sector have shared their career stories as part of the ‘Work that matters‘ campaign, which launched on Tuesday 3 August.
‘Work that matters’ is an attraction and retention campaign that shines a light on disability support work as an option for people looking to build a rewarding career. It also celebrates the incredibly important work carried out every day by the thousands of people that make up Victoria’s diverse disability support workforce.
The campaign seeks to dispel some of the misconceptions of disability support work and encourage people from all walks of life to consider the possibilities – from entry-level workers to management and administration roles, and allied health professionals, the roles are diverse but the goal is the same.
Rachel, who has worked as a disability support worker for seven years, says,
“it’s a career that would suit people from many different backgrounds”.
“a big part of disability support work is the social, community inclusion side and encouraging people with disability to become comfortable in busy social spaces. It can be challenging but it’s also a lot of fun. I brought my lived experience and was able to strengthen it with training. I learned to adapt and develop the skills to cope with unfamiliar situations. With a wide range of roles for people with different skills and goals, and ongoing training and professional development, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to build a fulfilling, rewarding career.”
Discover more stories like Rachel’s at the Keeping our sector strong – case studies page.
Workforce development hub
A workforce development hub is the centrepiece of the campaign. The hub houses relevant information and helpful resources to support potential new entrants into the disability sector, and helps current employees to progress their career and assist employers to recruit new workers. You can access the hub via the Work that Matters website.
Disability service providers are being encouraged to leverage the campaign by listing job vacancies on the Jobs Victoria website. Visit the Employers in the disability sector webpage for a step-by-step guide.
The ‘Work that matters’ campaign was one of several initiatives from Keeping Our Sector Strong, Victoria’s Workforce Plan for the NDIS, released in 2016 to guide the disability sector through five years of unprecedented change by supporting disability workers to build the capabilities required to thrive in the new NDIS environment.
The campaign was developed with input from the disability sector and people with disability in response to the increasing demand for services as more people access the NDIS.
