Opportunities for Employers
Information for inclusive employers
Equity Works has received funding to run a pilot project on the Sunshine Coast through to June 2024.
The project is called HERE NOW NEXT.
The vision of the Here Now Next (HNN) project is to support young people with disabilities who are between the ages of 14 and 24 access real, meaningful, and sustainable open employment. The project will assist at least 25 young people to find casual, part-time, or full-time roles.
The HNN team will engage purposefully with local business who understand their role as leaders of inclusion and social change on the Sunshine Coast. Building on the achievements of businesses who are already employing people with disabilities,
HNN will provide (at no cost) strategic planning sessions, resources, and support crafted to each business' unique needs. This will support businesses to become more confident in creating inclusive job opportunities for young people with disability.
The HNN team will facilitate job matching opportunities to ensure the job developed meets the identified needs of businesses and the young person.
Next Steps
If you would like to register or hear more about the HERE NOW NEXT project, please contact the team by emailing or calling.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 1300 486 440
Here Now Next Employer Enquire Now
Why does becoming an Inclusive Employer make good business sense?
Inclusive employment is good for your business because you are likely to:
- Be more productive, profitable, innovative, creative, and diverse.
- Increase customer loyalty and satisfaction. One in five Australians has a disability. This is over 15% of the Australian population. When you include their families, friends and communities' inclusion makes good business sense.
- Understand better the needs of customers with disability, which will give you a competitive edge.
- Be seen as active, valued, and contributing members of your community.
- Be seen as community leaders who have influence to change the employment outcomes and lives of people with a disability.
- Be able to respond flexibly and innovatively in times of uncertainty, including imposed COVID-19 pandemic restrictions
What support will I receive from HNN team when I engage in the project?
You will receive:
- A personalised 2-hour strategic business planning session for your team, valued at over $550. This will support your business to get started on the path for planning to create inclusive employment opportunities for people with a disability.
- Assistance with working through barriers and identifying employment solutions provides new ways of working innovatively and flexibly with young people.
- Personalised resources and crafted support to customise employment to address your business needs and reduce your pressure points.
- Assistance to access quality training and resources to support your business to develop awareness and capacity to become an inclusive employer
- On-the-job mentoring and support to facilitate ongoing productive and inclusive work environments once the young person is matched and working for your business.
- Support in harnessing an individual’s strengths and talents.
- Share real life learnings about how accommodations can lead to improvements for business and employees alike.
HNN provides a tailored program for long-term outcomes
Unique features of HNN project include the use of PATH strategic planning tools to enable businesses to successfully employ young people with disabilities and assist the young people find real and sustainable employment.
The long-term outcome of Here Now Next is:
- More people in the community working alongside employees with disabilities, leading to increased workplace acceptance and understanding.
- Acknowledgement and utilisation of the huge resource and talent that individuals with a disability can bring to an organisation.
- Truly inclusive and diverse workforces that represent the people that they serve.
- Growing a community of diverse and innovative business leaders for social change
Does it Cost anything to be part of the project?
As HERE NOW NEXT project is funded through the government, there is no cost.
Acknowledgement: EQUITY WORKS is funded by the Department of Social Services, Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) program.
