Find support
Information and support are available to employers that want to make their workplaces more accessible, and to find, recruit and retain employees with disability.
The Queensland Government funds programs to support Queensland businesses, as well as disability peak services, to increase equitable access to workplaces.
Case study
Lysaght, a division of BlueScope in Australia, has been supplying steel building products for residential and commercial projects across Australia for over 150 years. The company partnered with Autism Queensland and participated in the EmployABLE program to ensure Michael Herbert enjoyed success as part of their accounts team.
Support is available for employers to recruit candidates with disability, including from the Queensland Government, private sector employment services and the Australian Government.
Queensland Government funded support for employers:
Back to Work program
The Back to Work program supports businesses to provide long-term and meaningful employment opportunities to people facing employment barriers, including people with disability. Benefits include:
- Employer Incentive Payments of up to $20,000 to support the employment of people with disability who have experienced a minimum of eight weeks of unemployment.
- Small Business Support Pool payments of $2,000 to assist continued employment of people participating in the Back to Work program through improvements such as adjustments to improve independence and accessibility.
- Free small business short courses to equip employers with skills and know-how to build confidence and workplace culture and help them to retain their employee. Current topics include, ‘Communicating effectively with people with disability’.
- The Growing Workforce Participation Fund, designed to empower industry to identify and address unique place-based employment challenges, providing opportunities for employers to support jobseekers. It aims to create systemic change to encourage greater labour market participation, including for people with disability.
Workforce Connect Fund
The Workforce Connect Fund is designed to increase investment in industry and community-led projects that address barriers to attraction, retention and participation in the workforce. The Workforce Connect Fund will fund large scale projects that have a strong focus on connections and community engagement. Projects can develop programs and approaches that support specific cohorts, including people with disability, to achieve sustainable workforce outcomes and promote social cohesion within the industry.
Training for industry and employers
Free short courses are available to help small business owners and employers gain confidence and retain employees. Examples include the Workplace Resilience and Wellbeing, and Communicating effectively with people with disability courses.
More information:
- Good people. Good jobs: Queensland’s Workforce Strategy
- Ensuring Occupations are Responsive to People with Disability report — a good practice guide and an action plan created to develop disability confidence in key professionals, including employers
- Guidelines for the targeted recruitment of people with disability
- JobAccess