Inclusive Employment Consultant – Canberra

ABOUT JIGSAW:

Jigsaw is a not-for-profit organisation designed to break the cycle so many people with disability face – of never gaining entry to the workforce.

At Jigsaw, we believe people prepare best for work, through work and our mission is to ‘build an Australia in which people with disability are fully included in the workforce’.

At the heart of the Jigsaw model is a thriving document and data management social enterprise, providing a range of high-quality commercial services to corporate and government clients. This social enterprise enables us to provide a training pathway for people with disabilities to prepare for employment at their own pace and undertake award wage employment before transitioning to open employment. Our proven model has resulted in an average 12 month employment retention rate that is more than double the average national retention rate for the current Commonwealth Government Disability Employment Services (DES) program.

We’re building something new!

After over 11 years of delivering solid, lasting employment outcomes under our work-integrated social enterprise and NDIS-funded model, Jigsaw Australia has been selected to deliver the new Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA) Commonwealth Government program in the Canberra/Queanbeyan Employment Services Area. Replacing the existing DES model from 1 November, IEA aims to support specialist cohort providers like Jigsaw with deep experience in providing tailored services. Jigsaw will deliver services to a specialist cohort of youth with disability under the age of 25 years, and we aim to remain true to our proven disability employment model within the IEA framework; helping to shape national disability employment services for the better.

Learn more about Jigsaw at https://jigsawaustralia.com.au/

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Inclusive Employment Consultant (IEC) will support a caseload of job seekers aged 25 and under through their employment journey. The IEC will work closely with their caseload to deeply understand their employment goals and aspirations, and use their strong local labour market knowledge and employer networks to identify and create suitable, sustainable employment placements.

Key areas of accountability include:

• Manage and support a caseload of job seekers aged 25 and under through their Inclusive Employment Australia program journey
• Coordinate group training sessions for job seekers in Jigsaw’s Work Skills for Open Employment activity
• Support job seekers to engage with local community services organisations to address their vocational and non-vocational barriers to employment
• Support job seekers to establish and maintain high quality resumes, cover letters and selection criteria to apply for suitable employment
• Proactively maintain local labour market knowledge to keep afloat of changing and emerging labour demands
• Actively reverse-market specific job seekers to employers, promoting their individual strengths and capabilities
• Provide Post Placement and Ongoing Support to jobseekers with the aim to support them to maintain their open employment
• Provide support to employers with effectively managing and supporting their new employees with disability
• Effectively use external resources, including but not limited to JobAccess and the Centre for Inclusive Employment, to support job seekers and employers with all things inclusive employment
• Maintain contractual compliance and reporting requirements as necessary

Qualifications and experience required:

Essential

• Caseload management of disadvantaged job seekers; preferably within the Disability Employment Services program
• Knowledge of inclusive employment practices and barriers faced by people with disability
• Possess a working knowledge of occupational health and safety practices
• Have the right to work in Australia
• Willingness to travel intrastate based on employer and job seeker support needs
• Willingness to work outside of standard business hours as required, based on employer and job seeker needs
• Possess a current satisfactory NDIS Worker Screening and Working With Children Check
• Completion of NDIS Worker Orientation Module
• Possess and maintain current First Aid and CPR certifications
• Other checks and certifications may be required based on customer needs

Desirable

• Solid existing employer networks
• Knowledge of the NDIS sector
• Knowledge of Work Integrated Social Enterprises (WISE)

What makes Jigsaw an unbeatable workforce:

• Competitive, above award rate salary + Super + Salary packaging
• A quarterly Wellness Day to pursue wellness initiatives or activities of importance to you!
• Jigsaw employees receive tax-effective salary packaging opportunities, meaning you can increase the value of your take-home income (including novated car leasing).
• An opportunity to be part of a passionate team, helping to build a fantastic workplace culture whilst carrying out purposeful work.

If you are interested in joining a dynamic organisation at a time of exciting change in the disability sector, apply with your current resume and a cover letter addressing the above criteria.

For more information regarding the role, or to obtain a copy of the position description, please email recruitment@fightingchance.org.au

As a values-based organisation supporting marginalised communities across Australia, we value lived experience and cultural diversity. We encourage applications from people with disability and from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. If you require adjustments to our recruitment process, please reach out for a confidential discussion.

Our Commitment to Child Safety Fighting Chance is a Child Safe Organisation committed to the safety, wellbeing, and inclusion of all children and young people. We have zero tolerance for abuse, harm, neglect, discrimination, or inequality, and are dedicated to preventing harm of any kind. We uphold the rights of children and young people to be heard, to have their identity and culture respected, and to have their concerns taken seriously and acted upon. All staff are expected to uphold our Code of Conduct and implement our Child Protection Practices, and to actively promote a culture of safety, respect, and trust in everything we do. At Fighting Chance, we believe that child safety is everyone’s responsibility.