Welcome to 2011 and the fifth edition of the Wesley Employment Services newsletter!

We are looking forward to an exciting year with a new marketing campaign to promote our rebrand and increase our visibility in the community. This will include an updated website and an advertising campaign in the North & Western suburbs. Our 3 offices will be participating in Social Firms Australia’s LEAP Project and HOPE Programs, working with the local mental health providers in Footscray, Northcote and Coburg. We will keep you up to date with their progress during the year.

We wish all our Career Partners, Employers and Community Groups a successful 2011 and look forward to working together once again to empower people with a disability to find and maintain a job.

We welcome your input to future editions and encourage you to distribute this newsletter to your colleagues, clients and through your own email networks.

Local Employment Access Partnerships (LEAP)

Wesley Employment Services is very excited to be participating in the LEAP Project and HOPE Programs in 2011. The LEAP project was established by Social Firms Australia and is funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

LEAP’s objectives are:

• To improve workforce participation, employment and social outcomes for job seekers with a mental illness by building individuals’ work readiness and capacity
• To manage their symptoms in the workplace
• To develop the skills and capacity of local disability employment support personnel to assist job seekers with mental illness
• To promote service integration between local disability employment support providers, clinical mental health teams and rehabilitation services by establishing partnerships in Coburg, Northcote, Footscray, Dandenong, Prahran and Maryborough

Part of the LEAP project is to deliver the Health Optimisation Program for Employment (HOPE) training. HOPE will assist job seekers with a mental illness to take greater control of their wellbeing. The HOPE training program has been adapted by SoFA and Frameworks for Health (St Vincent’s Health) from an existing evidence-based clinical training program. HOPE training will be delivered jointly by a mental health peer educator and a trainer.

Trainers will be sourced from within the LEAP partnership and trained by Frameworks for Health. The project will run for three years during which 340+ job seekers with a mental illness will be supported to manage anxiety and other symptoms and improve job readiness skills to secure and sustain employment.

Wesley’s involvement in the LEAP project and the HOPE training in 2011 is:

• Two Wesley team members will complete the HOPE facilitator Training on the 18^th & 19^th of January and will facilitate the program over the next 12 months.
• Our Wesley job seekers will be referred to the HOPE Training. The first of which commence 31^st January in Coburg and 3^rd February in Footscray and Northcote.
• Wesley representatives will attend the quarterly partnership meetings.

Events

Real Industry Job Interviews

Wesley Employment Services once again participated in the “Real Industry Job Interviews” coordinated by the Inner Northern LLEN, Hume/Whittlesea LLEN & RMIT. This curriculum program is designed to give Year 10 & 11 secondary school students experience in preparing and experiencing a “real” job interview situation. The program is strongly supported by local business and the community, drawing on the valuable recruitment skills and expertise of local managers who participate by interviewing, assessing and giving feed back to the participants.

Wesley looks forward to participating again in 2011.

Centrelink's  'Keep Australia Working'  Western Jobs Expo in Werribee

Wesley Employment Services was 1 of a total of 102 Exhibitors who attended the Western Jobs Expo which produced over 1,400 job opportunities across a wide range of industries.

Approximately 5,100 Job Seekers including Wesley’s attended the event with approximately 620 Job Seekers to be placed in a job or a pathway as a direct result of the Expo. Wesley’s Employment Consultants also attended the event with our job seekers.

It was a great community event that achieved real outcomes for the Western suburbs.

Celebrating International Day of People with Disability

 
Wesley Employment Services celebrated International Day of People with Disability in its three offices and also participated as an exhibitor at the Maribyrnong celebrations.

The event featured the Maribyrnong Inclusive Recognition Awards, exhibits from disability providers and entertainment at the Bluestone Church in Hyde Street, Footscray.

It was a fun day for all which highlighted the wonderful contributions made by people with a disability and those that work with them in our community.

Sponsorship

Wesley Employment is committed to building an inclusive workforce – one which embraces diversity and where all people are valued and have the opportunity to participate.

As an Award Patron Sponsor of the 2010 Diversity at Work - Employment and Inclusion Awards, Wesley joined with our Career and Community partners to promote and celebrate diversity in the work place.

The awards celebrated it’s 10^th anniversary and the growth and development of those organisations who have truly embraced diversity and inclusion in the workplace.” One of the biggest changes the awards have seen is how many organisations now understanding that diversity is not just a HR strategy, but is an important and strategic business differentiator.”

The awards recognised the efforts of small and large companies, of corporate Australia, not for profit organisations as well as many federal and state government departments. The prestigious Diversity Laureate Awards, celebrating those who have embraced diversity and inclusion strategies, was won by The City of Whittlesea, in the Small to Medium category, and The Queensland Department of Education and Training, in the large category.

The Awards recognised seven categories to promote true human diversity within the workplace and our community in general; and mirror many of the people that Wesley Employment Services works with on a day to day basis.

Award Categories and the Winners:

Employment & Inclusion of People with a Disability. Winner: (SME) Psychiatric Rehabilitation Australia (PRA) & (LGE) Ageing Disability and Home Care (ADHC)

Employment & Inclusion of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Australians. Winner: (SME) The Reed Group/ Sydney Community College & (LGE) NAB

Employment & Inclusion of Mature Age Workers. Winner : The Widdon Group

Employment & Inclusion of Indigenous Australians. Winner: (SME) OZ Minerals & (LGE) Crown Limited

The Equal Advancement of Women within the Workplace Winner: (SME) Department for Water South Australia & (LGE) Corporate Express

Employment & Inclusion of Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Intersex Winner: University of Queensland

Today’s Youth - the Future of Tomorrow Winner: (SME) Transport Accident Commission (TAC) & (LGE) Brisbane City Council

Photo: Andrew Horgan from Inner Northern LLEN (left) with Vicki Walsh, Mark Stretton & Paul Nassif from Wesley

School Leavers and Graduates

With a large number of Secondary School, TAFE and Tertiary Graduates entering the job market, please refer anyone with a disability, permanent injury, medical condition or mental health issue to Wesley Employment Services. It is a no fee service which offers assistance with Training and Employment options including Traineeships and Apprenticeships.

Our services include:

• Identifying your skill levels, training needs, interests and goals
• Developing your Employment Pathway Plan
• Developing your interview and job application skills
• Job search assistance and reverse marketing to potential employers
• Access to government funding and wage subsidies

Please call or email Vicki Walsh on Mobile: 0403 090 763

Email : vicki.walsh@wesleyemployment.com.au

Betta Foods & TSMN give their support to the Wesley Food For Families Appeal

Wesley Employment Services would like to thank our partners who gave their support to the Wesley Food For Families Appeal. Their donations have gone towards helping Wesley Mission Victoria to support over 55,000 families and homeless people over Christmas and throughout the coming year.

Betta Foods one of Wesley Employment Services’ Career Partners, donated a pallet load of Capricorn Licqourice to the Wesley Food For Families Appeal. This generous donation was a lovely treat for the disadvantaged families helped by the appeal over Christmas.

Photo: Wesley volunteers Gabbi and Peter are pictured with Betta Foods General Manager Jim Finch and Imtiaz Ali collecting the licqourice donation.

Tourism Sales & Marketing Network Lunch

The Tourism Sales & Marketing Network (TSMN) held its annual Christmas charity lunch at Sumac, Central Pier Docklands and asked all guests to bring along a donation of non perishable goods for the Wesley Food For Family Appeal.

The event was hosted by 3AW's David Mann from the "Mann about Town" program with special guest - actor and chef Ken James who are pictured  below with Wesley Employment Services’ Vicki Walsh with the donations collected at the event.

If you would like to support future appeals please contact Wesley's Community Relations Team on (03) 9662 2355.

Career Partner Success Story

The Crown Packaging Project

This story is about how Wesley Employment Services brought two individual businesses together to achieve successful outcomes for our job seekers and both businesses.

It all started when Marketing and Communications company contacted Paul Nassif from Wesley’s Business Development team regarding an upcoming project to assemble information kits for their client.

Paul approached Trevor Still from Crown Packaging to take on the project using Wesley job seekers because he had the facilities to successfully complete the project. Wesley has an ongoing relationship with Crown who had already employed four of our job seekers in pick and pack roles. This one day project involved another five job seekers and also served as a paid work trial for future roles at Crown.

Trevor accepted the project and all parties agreed to proceed with Paul managing the details. This included liaising with the employers, interviewing and selecting the job seekers and providing on the job training and support.

The project was completed on time and to budget. For Wesley’s job seekers it was an opportunity to earn some extra money leading up to Christmas, to gain valuable work experience, and to show case their skills to Crown Packaging for future employment.

Wesley would like to thank Trevor from Crown Packaging for his ongoing support.

If you would like to know more about making your workforce more diverse and becoming one of our Career Partners please contact our Business Development & Marketing Team.

Wesley Employment Service's New Website

Wesley Employment Services has just launched it’s new website!

It includes information for Job Seekers, Employers, Wesley’s Career and Community Partners, News and Events.

www.wesleyemployment.com.au

Career Partners