PM’s Employer of the Year Awards – ACT

I want to congratulate the state and territory winners of the 2001 Prime Minister’s Employer of the Year Awards. All of the winners have shown tremendous commitment to employing people with disabilities and are reaping the rewards.

In the Australian Capital Territory, the winner of the small business category is Better Brakes and Suspension.

Better Brakes and Suspension has six employees in total, three of them are people with disabilities. The organisation services motor vehicles and sells brake, clutch and suspension parts to both wholesale and retail markets. It has operated for six years in Canberra under its current owners.

The longest serving employee in this category has been with Better Brakes and Suspension since its inception. The company offers employment for people who want to succeed and advance their careers to a higher level and to a stage of continued refinement and elevation of service standards, plus have a lot of fun doing it.

The nature of work undertaken by people with disabilities at Better Brakes and Suspension includes operation management, delivery services, parts interpretation, machinery work and customer liaison.

The state winner of the large business category is Crowne Plaza Canberra.

Part of the worldwide Six Continents Hotels group, Crowne Plaza Canberra provides both accommodation and food and beverage facilities in the heart of Canberra.

The company employs over 350 people, including four employees with disabilities. Employees undertake kitchen hand and food preparation duties and are employed as permanent, full time and casual workers on award wages.

The Prime Minister’s Employer of the Year Awards, which recognise small and large businesses in each state and territory that employ people with disabilities, have been running for 11 years. The number and quality of nominations has been increasing each year.

The Prime Minister’s Employer of the Year Awards is a great opportunity to showcase Australian businesses that are leading the way, and to encourage others to follow suit in creating a fair and just work environment for everyone.

The Prime Minister, Mr John Howard will announce the National Winners of the Employer of the Year Awards at Parliament House on Monday, 26 August.