SOMETIMES it’s hard enough trying to find a job for one person, so imagine trying to find 30 jobs for 30 disabled people in 30 days.
That’s the challenge facing Ostara Australia in Melbourne’s outer west during this month.
Ostara, Australia’s largest Disability Employment Service, has helped 2000 people find sustained employment across the country in the past year.
Sunbury office team leader Jade Backas says she is hoping to get local businesses involved in the campaign.
“We are sending out letters to businesses in Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges and will be following up with them next week,” she said. “I have 146 job seekers on my case list and they are looking at a range of jobs. Some of them are after full-time work and others part-time as they can only work a certain amount of hours on their disability support income. Part-time [work] ranges from eight hours to 30 hours.”
She said that those employers who became part of the project would continue to receive support from Ostara. They were also eligible for wage subsidies under federal government disability employment services initiative.
“We are looking for anything that our workers can do,” she said. “We want them to have their dream job, but in some cases it means taking another job in the meantime to get them there.”
Information: 9971 6700 or jade.backas@ostara.org.au
