ON-Q spreads work opportunities
GOLD Coast not-for-profit organisation ON-Q Disability Services is gearing up for a huge expansion next month, with the launch of 18 new offices from Ballina to the Sunshine Coast.
CEO and executive director Lisa Smith said that while the expansion is a massive undertaking, the new offices will enable the company to place more people with a disability into decent, lasting jobs across a wider footprint.
“Each year we help hundreds of people realise their full potential and gain meaningful employment in jobs they love, and with the launch of our new offices across the coast we are hoping to raise that number into the thousands,” Ms Smith said.
The substantial expansion will generate more than 60 jobs, with four new sites opening on the Gold Coast in Southport, Coomera, Palm Beach and Tweed Heads.
All sites will be open by the end of next month, ready for the rollout of the new Disability Employment Services (DES) reform that has been put in place by the Australian Government and to coincide with the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
“The new DES model is supportive of a much more personal and flexible approach to disability employment which strongly aligns to how we have always operated at ON-Q,” Ms Smith said.
“We’re really making sure that we continue to espouse our values of compassion and integrity to all new employees and clients during our expansion. ON-Q’s personalised approach is something that we believe makes us really unique in a crowded marketplace and it’s something that we feel we have perfected over our 30 years.
“We’re opening offices in new locations where we’ve never been before, so we’re really excited to create new partnerships with community and local businesses to promote disability employment and inclusion”. Currently half of Australians with a disability are employed.