Economic Participation Project

The Economic Participation Project is a partnership between People With Disabilities WA (PWdWA) and Advocacy WA (AWA).

Its goal is to develop the soft skills of young people with disabilities and provide them with the self-assurance to build links with their industry of choice.

In the process, businesses will augment their capacity and confidence in engaging and employing young people with disabilities.

EPP in the South West

The Economic Participation Project assist workplaces in the South West to become more welcoming and accessible to people disabilities.

We are offering a free consultation service to businesses and organisations that will enhance how they engage and interact with staff and customers.

As well as giving businesses a competitive advantage, a diverse workforce generates fresh perspectives, drives innovation and improves productivity. This service has been designed to assess and understand the needs of businesses in a resource-stretched and candidate-depleted market. Organisations will gain improvements in:

• Customer service and client accessibility. Businesses will become more welcoming to the 1 in 5 Australians with disabilities, who may be customers, stakeholders or referrals.
• Staff support and retention. Businesses will have an increased capacity to assist and keep employees with disabilities, so that skilled talent is not lost.
• Talent pool expansion. Businesses will have access to a more diverse and motivated recruitment pool.

What will businesses receive from the Economic Participation Project?

• A business analysis will be undertaken to understand your business and workplace culture and advise of our recommendations
• We will host an experiential meeting to build disability awareness and how it impacts your business
• A premises check will be undertaken which audits your operations for accessibility and provides a written report outlining potential improvements
• A recommendations document is provided offering practical strategies that businesses can easily implement
• We will provide you with a customised roadmap to improve the inclusivity of your business and connect you with resources to access when required

What do businesses need to do to participate?

Businesses need to commit to three, one-hour meetings with one of our Youth Consultants.

What is a Youth Consultant?

Youth consultants evaluate and report on the capacity of a business or organisation to be welcoming, confident and accessible to young people with disabilities.

Successful applicants will be eligible for up to 25 hours of employment (including training) and do not need to have any prior experience in the disability sector.

This opportunity will help young people to:

• Learn how businesses operate
• Learn how businesses can become more accessible to young people with disabilities
• Develop work-readiness skills including communication, time-management and decision-making

Interested? Complete contact

Andrea Surman
community@advocacywa.org.au
0499 014 110

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