The Hon Bill Shorten MP, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, hosted the first NDIS Jobs and Skills Forum on 17 August 2022. Around 100 people, including people with disability, disability representative and carer organisations, sector representatives, peak bodies, unions and government officials attended the forum.
The forum heard from people with disability about their experiences at work and finding the appropriate supported employment. People with disability and advocates in the disability sector encouraged creative thinking to get more people with disability into work, and to grow a quality NDIS workforce.
The forum provided an opportunity to develop new ideas and key messages to take to the Jobs and Skills Summit on 1-2 September 2022 and to inform the Employment White Paper.
Topics of discussion included pathways to supported employment, models of employment support, workforce supply, workforce quality and lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. From these discussions, attendees collated lists of actions they want to see considered by the Government. Some of these actions included:
- a co-designed and funded NDIS workforce strategy
- help for people with disability to find meaningful work and develop their careers
- increasing the representation of people with disability in leadership positions
- a targeted plan to build the NDIS workforce in regional and remote areas.
Twelve 2022 graduates provided assistance at the Forum, helping to make attendees feel welcome and supporting them to participate throughout the day. Our staff received accessibility training provided by the Disability Strategy Governance and Engagement team prior to the Forum.
The outcomes of the forum will aim to support immediate actions and opportunities to support the Government shape the future of the NDIS workforce.
Read Minister Shorten’s opening address to the first ever NDIS Jobs and Skills Forum(Opens in a new tab/window).
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