Supporting people with disability seeking work

Australians with a disability will be better supported in their search for a job.

The Turnbull Government today announced a new round of offers to organisations seeking to be providers of Disability Employment Services (DES) from 1 July 2018.

The new panel of providers for DES will support people with disability to find and keep work with a greater emphasis on providers achieving employment outcomes.

Minister for Social Services Dan Tehan said the Government will invest more than $3 billion into DES over four years, including an additional $300 million over the next 10 years.

“The new providers of Disability Employment Services will provide people with disability more choice and say in the support they receive as they look for work,” Mr Tehan said.

One-hundred-and-forty-two organisations are being sent offers including 100 current providers and 42 new organisations.

Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services Jane Prentice said the current DES program had achieved almost 400,000 placements of people with disability into open employment.

“Depending on the offers accepted, we are expecting significantly more employment services to be available for people with disability, with more of the funding offered contingent on supporting people into lasting employment,” Mrs Prentice said.

“We look forward to more people with disability securing  meaningful and lasting employment.”

These changes complement the stronger support available to many people with disability through the National Disability Insurance Scheme, reflecting the Government’s ambition that people with disability are supported to achieve greater social and economic participation.

Details of the final panel of DES providers will be made available once organisations have accepted their offers and signed agreements to become DES providers.

For more information on the changes to the DES program, go to www.JobAccess.gov.au.