Melbourne-based Catholic aged and disability organisation VMCH will support young people with disabilities to enter the workforce and begin their journey to independence. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
Did you know that there are 2.1 million Australians with a disability of working age? Or that fewer than half of these people have a job? Or that this rate of unemployment for people with a disability has not shifted in 30 years?
VMCH is committed to helping shift these terrible statistics with its latest fundraising appeal, ‘Work It!’.
The appeal aims to raise $80,000 to fund a unique, new retail space in Melbourne’s east, all geared towards readying people for work.
VMCH already has established job skills programs and employment pathways for people with disability, including social enterprise cafes, a coffee van and horticulture programs. This new retail hub will expand the organisation’s current retail training offering, provided through its four op shops and op shop warehouse in Wantirna.
“This will be more than a traditional op shop,” VMCH chief executive Sonya Smart said.
“It will be an exciting learning hub where up to 15 clients each year will build on skills such as money-handling, customer service and product displays, guided by disability support workers and volunteer mentors.
“Once they’ve honed these skills and are ready to move on, we’ll equip them with all the tools they need to find and secure paid work, like dressing for success, interview skills and linking them with our employment partners in their chosen fields.”
VMCH has a goal to help 100 people find and sustain meaningful employment by 2025.
Details: Work It!
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New appeal helps people with disability to ‘Work It!’ (Melbourne Catholic)
