Investing $650 million for Australian Disability Enterprise jobs

The Australian Government is delivering employment certainty for up to 20,000 people with disability by committing more than $650 million to Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) jobs over the next three years.

The Assistant Minister for Social Services, Mitch Fifield, and the Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, today visited Fairhaven Disability Services to announce the funding.

This is essential support for ADE jobs as workers with disability transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

ADEs are incredibly important in the continuum of employment options for people with disability, provide jobs in businesses such as laundries, cafes and gardening crews.

Without ADEs, many people with disability would lose the opportunity to work, socialise and learn new skills.

This funding is about ensuring that supported employees and ADEs have certainty now and over the next three years.

The new contracts will reduce red tape and help specialist businesses that employ people with disability to make the transition from current arrangements to the new claiming processes on the NDIS provider portal.

The NDIS is already operating in seven trial sites across the country, making a difference in the lives of more than 17,300 Australians with disability, their families and their carers.

The Australian Government is also investing in additional measures such as free online corporate governance training to assist ADEs to prepare for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

We want ADEs to be in the best possible shape so they can thrive in the new environment of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and offer great choice to people with disability.

ADEs can register for the free training at www.planforndis.org

Further information regarding the new funding is available on the Department of Social Services’ website.