More funding flagged for disability employment training by the Coalition Government and Federal Labor. The Turnbull Government will invest $34 million to support employment and training for those with disability if it re-elected while the Labor has pledged a range of services to help people with disability get into the workforce.
The Coalition investment will be directed to a range of projects through the Sector Development Fund, supporting the transition to the NDIS. It includes $15m to enable not-for-profit NDIS providers with small grants up to $10,000 to adapt their businesses to delivering services under NDIS. Another $10m will go towards a network of co-ordinators to assist providers with promoting good practice and share information. A further $5m is earmarked for innovative workforce projects, $2m will assist NDIS workers to learn about the rights of people with disability and a further $2m in training allied health professionals to grow the NIDS workforce and attract new talent to the disability sector.
Labor’s job plan is described as ‘three concrete actions’ to happen in the first term. The action plan will encourage business and community organisations to employ more Australians living with disability, trial new approaches to disability employment services and set public sector employment targets for people with disability. Labor will provide $1m to an independent not-for-profit disability organisation, selected from a competitive tender process to promote, advise and co-ordinate the development and delivery of Disability Employment Action Plans. Labor will also invest $5m towards trialling new approaches to better integrate Disability Employment Services and the NDIS. In selected NDIS locations, people looking for work will be able to choose their own employment support as part of their individual plan. The size and scope of these trials will be done in consultation with service providers, the National Disability Insurance Agency and local communities. Finally, the Australian Public Service Commission will be tasked with developing a series of employment targets with Commonwealth departments and agencies.