Achieving Career Success & Placement Grants

Forum: Achieving Career Success with a Disability
This is an event for all university students with disability, mental health, medical conditions and learning disabilities to provide information about career pathways. Find out more about practical career strategies and programs to give you an edge in a tough job market.• Comprehensive workshop discussing disclosure – when, how and practical tips for disclosing a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability.
• Hear from a recent Graduate with a disability about their job seeking experiences.
• Ask the Panel: industry representatives from public and private sectors ready to answer your questions.
• Lunch provided

Date: Friday 12th October 2012
Time: 11:45am - 3:30pm
Venue: Bradley Forum, 5th Floor, Hawke Building, City West campus
Wheelchair access via lift
Register by 4th October 2012 (space is limited)
login to UniSA CareerHub and search events “Forum: Achieving Career Success with a Disability”

ABC Ramp Up News
A COAG report comparing disability statistics across Australia found that there was no statistically significant increase in employment rates for people with disability between 2003 and 2006. Tom Bridge is not surprised. View article

Student Placement Grants
To see if you are eligible for a grant to assist financially while you are on placement, have a look here.

ATTENTION Final Year Students

Opportunities exist over the Summer 2011-2012 semester break for the
Stepping into... program

- Stepping into… is a minimum four week paid internship for university students with disability. - For students in the following disciplines: Law, Accounting, Human Resources, Policy, Finance,Marketing,Communications & IT.

- The program is designed to provide university students with practical skills and experience which will assist them to obtain long term employment within their chosen profession.


If you are studying in your final year in one of these areas, check out the website for more information and how to apply:
http://www.and.org.au/content/view/448/23/

Invitation to 'Disability and Career Success' Information Session

Join UniSA Career Services, Disability Services and a panel of alumni and industry representatives for an informative and engaging couple of hours.

At: BH4-33 City West campus.
Wheelchair access via Yungondi building elevator, bridge to adjacent BH building

Date: Friday 11th Dec 2009
Time: 9.30am - 12.00

Panel members & Speakers:
James Rundle: Consultant, Disability Works, Disability Employment Agency
Tanya Rudd: Area Manager, Interwork, Disability
Employment Agency
Jenny Watts-Sampson: UniSA graduate and National Disability Coordination Officer, UniSA
Frederick Stokes-Thompson: Careers Advisor, UniSA
Kirsten Read: Disability Adviser, UniSA

RSVP: Book through MyCareerPlan events
https://mycareerplan.unisa.edu.au/ViewEvent.chpx?id=64021

Contact Kirsten Read for more information:
kirsten.read@unisa.edu.au

You are invited to...

Celebrate International Day of People with Disability
Thursday 3rd Dec
10am - 3pm
At: Interwork's newly expanded office
L1/32-56 Sir Donald Bradman Drive

Includes Free BBQ, Cake, and the SA Works Traineeship Recognition Ceremony
RSVP: Tanja Rudd tanjar@interwork.com.au

Cool Nurse on Wheels: Nursing with Spina Bifida and a wheelchair

My parents were expecting to become the parents of a healthy baby girl. That turned out to not be the case. I was born with a form of Spina Bifida called myelomeningocele. The covering of my spinal cord and the spinal nerves from L4-L5 were in a sack outside of my back, creating permanent nerve damage from the area of L4 down.

My family raised me with a “can do” attitude, and I was never treated any differently than the other kids in my family. This attitude shaped who I am now.

Becoming a nurse was the ultimate goal for me; and from day one, I was not going to let anyone or anything stand in my way. It’s what I was born to do. I e-mailed several nursing schools. All of the responses were negative. Some schools even offered me free counseling to change my major.

The only school I applied to was Wright State University. I decided to disclose my Spina Bifida in the essay that I was required to submit. I was elated when I got the letter of admittance.

The assistant dean vowed to help me. We would take it quarter by quarter, meeting prior to the start of each clinical. If it was not an essential function for nursing, then we discussed delegating the task. If I knew there was a lift or transfer that I could not perform, I asked a classmate to do it for me, promising to lend my help when he or she needed it.

I wanted to stay close to my friends and family after graduation, so I decided to look for jobs around Dayton. It was there that I got my first taste of what was to come.

I interviewed at numerous hospitals and even worked with recruiters, but I got turned down for every job. I disclosed my Spina Bifida before some interviews; for others, I did not say anything until I went into the interview room.

The excuses ranged from, “We want someone with more experience” to “You can’t possibly do nursing with a wheelchair.”

I had filled out an application for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. The gentleman from human resources called me. I told him that I was interested in spinal cord injuries because of my history with Spina Bifida. He immediately asked me to come and interview.

I spent all day at RIC interviewing. I wasn’t even out of the airport parking garage when I got a phone call requesting a second interview.

I now work at RIC as a registered nurse. I use my wheelchair for long distances, but I do walk in my patients’ rooms. My patients have been very accepting. A lot of my younger patients think it is cool that their nurse has a wheelchair just like them.

I graduated in November 2004— the proudest day of my life. As I walked across the stage, I had tears in my eyes. The biggest lesson that I have learned from this entire experience is to never let go of a dream.

Excerpt from a chapter by Marianne Haugh, RN, BSN, in “Leave No Nurse Behind: Nurses working with disAbilities” by Donna Maheady, EdD, ARNP.

Interview Skills Practice Day - 30th Oct 2009

Interwork's team of managers and team leaders are refreshing their interview skills and are looking for interviewees to respond in mock interview general questions.
The interviewers are the ones being assessed, not you, so it is a great opportunity to practice without the pressure of a real interview!

You would receive professional feedback about your performance to help build your confidence for real interviews.
Come prepared: dress in formal business clothes and be ready to talk about examples of when you have demonstrated teamwork, conflict resolution, problem solving and communication skills.

Time: Friday 30th October, 1:15 - 4pm
At: AIM, Centre for Management Development (180 Port Rd, Hindmarsh)
Contact: Elena Fulga, HR Manager, elenaf@interwork.com.au
Email your resume to Elena if you are interested.

Disability and Careers Forum: Watch this Space...

Are you in your final years of study??

Do you have questions about finding a job: disclosing your disability, writing an application, preparing for an interview?

Want to meet employers of people with a disability?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then keep Friday 11th December free. We are planning a careers session for students with a disability, including;

• Job search, application and interview skills
• Information and discussion about disclosure
• Forum to discuss issues with other students
• Employers and graduates will be invited to be part of a discussion panel.

Please let us know if there is anything else you would like covered in this forum, by posting it on this blog or emailing Kirsten Read. We want to hear from you!

kirsten.read@unisa.edu.au

Equity@Work Audio Interview Series

To assist students with disabilities with the jobsearch process, Equity@Work put together some interviews to give students insight to the knowledge and experiences of various graduates, employers and experts, and their personal strategies for overcoming common barriers.

For the interviews go to http://www.ssu.uts.edu.au/careers/resources/equity/audio/index.html

The project was funded by the UTS Equity and Diversity Unit Disability Projects fund.

Disclosure in the workplace

Every job seeker with a disability is faced with the same decision: "Should I or shouldn't I disclose my disability?" This decision may be framed differently depending upon whether you have a visible disability or a non-visible disability. Ultimately, the decision of whether to disclose is entirely up to you.

Click here to read more...

Right to request flex work could lead to discrim complaints

Employers need to review policies and procedures around flexible and part-time work arrangements ahead of the new right to request flexible work becoming law on Jan 1, 2010, says Deacons partner Sarah Ralph. While employers are not required to comply with requests, if an employee is dissatisfied with the outcome they can bring an action under equal opportunity legislation or lodge a complaint with the Fair Work Ombudsman (DA#330), Ralph told Discrim Alert associate news service HR Report.

“There’s a very positive obligation on the employer to say what the reasonable business grounds for refusal are,” Ralph said.

“For example, it might be that the costs involved in accommodating the request are significant, taking into account the size of the business. It will be more difficult for larger employers to use this as a reason.”

The right to request forms one of the 10 national employment standards (NES) and is covered by s65 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act).

Article taken from 'Discrimination Alert: The independent Newsletter on equal opportunity and workforce diversity: Issue 331, July 27 2009 '

ANZ Abilities Program

ANZ plans to recruit 35 people with a disability into their organisation by 30 September 2009.

ANZ appreciate that there are exceptionally talented people within their chosen profession who may have experienced barriers to employment due to accessibility.

ANZ would love to hear from people with a disability who have an interest in working for their organisation.

For a confidential discussion about the Abilities Program, what it’s about and to discuss current professional opportunities that are available, please contact:
Joel Kilgour
The ANZ Abilities Program Manager
Phone: 03 8685 5368
Email: Joel.Kilgour@anz.com

Positive Futures XPO '09 - Northern Suburbs

At: The Playford Civic Centre,
Playford Boulevard Elizabeth
On: Tuesday 11th August 2009
Time: 10am–3pm & 5pm-7pm.

Positive Futures XPO ‘09 is an interactive and informative day for people with disabilities.

- Info about resources for people with a disability in the Playford, Salisbury and Tea Tree Gully Council areas

- Raise awareness of issues related to employment

- Info for people with a disability making a transition to the workplace

Stepping into your chosen career

The Australian Employers Network on Disability is a not-for-profit organisation, resourced by its members, to advance employment opportunities for people with disability. We help our members and clients to welcome people with disability as employees, customers and suppliers. We support our clients nationally.

The Employers' Network on Disability is pleased to be able to offer university students with disability a range of internship opportunities, for the 2009 winter semester break.
Adelaide will be running two 'Stepping Into' programs:
Stepping into Law and Stepping into Accounting.

Check their website for more information:

'Stepping Into' internship programs:
http://www.aend.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=244&Itemid=23

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http://www.aend.org.au/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1