West Kempsey IGA hires workers with a disability through partnership with Key Employment

For the last two years, West Kempsey IGA manager Amanda Sing, in conjunction with Manager of Key Employment Lisa Reed and 2IC Adelle Riddel, has slowly been integrating people with disabilities into her staff, and she is more than impressed with the results.

"One of the first clients sent over by Key Employment started over 18 months ago, and she has since become one of my best workers, going from a few shifts, to 38 hours a week," Amanda said.

"I now have more than ten people from Key Employment working at the store, and every single one of them has proven to be an asset.

"We treat them like any other worker, if something is not up to standard, I let them know, and they are generally happy to keep trying, they are all very passionate about their roles and are happy to be at work."

Lisa and Adelle have spent countless hours trying to get meaningful work for their clients, and they hope to find more employers in the community who would consider offering inclusion for people with disability within their business.

"For a lot of our clients, West Kempsey IGA has been their first opportunity to work, often due to their disability," Adelle said.

"Many of our clients have multiple qualifications, but they are still turned away from jobs they are more than capable of doing with a little support and encouragement.

"There seems to be a lack of understanding surrounding disability as a whole, and with initiatives like this, we hope to change that perception and show that people with disabilities can be an asset to businesses in the community."

Key Employments sole purpose is to ensure all their clients are workforce ready, and Lisa is confident that any prospective employers shouldn't be worried about hiring a person with a disability.

"Initially, some of our clients start on a trial basis, but a lot of the time, the business is so impressed with their work ethic, it evolves into a full time or part-time paid position," she said.

"All of our NDIS clients come with their own support worker who helps integrate them into the business; there is no pressure or strain on staff for extra training or hours.

"We work with our NDIS and Disability Employment Service (DES) clients for as long as we need to ensure they are ready to go into the workforce before we send them out. Any client completing work experience are covered under Key Employment's insurance."

Aside from the benefit of having a cohort of keen, eager workers on her roster, Amanda says hiring people with disabilities has helped make a difference in the community.

"The change in some of the workers from Key Employment has been amazing to see, at first they were too shy to even talk with anyone else, now they are going around asking customers if they need any help," she said.

"In my experience, they've been grateful to be given a chance to work, and prove they have the skills and ability to earn a living.

"Securing employment can be life changing for someone with a disability or long term medical condition.

"I would recommend any other business in the area to give a person with a disability a chance, you might find some great staff that will be with you for many years to come."

"Any other business in the Macleay Valley who are interested in creating an inclusive workforce, where everyone is equal, I encourage them to get in touch with us at Key Employment today," Lisa said.

Phone Lisa or Adelle at Key Employment on 02 6563 1455 for more information on how you can help your business become more inclusive.

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