UP TO 500 full time jobs will be created across the Limestone Coast over the next few years to support the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
A disability workforce hub will be opened at Regional Development Australia (RDA) Limestone Coast to connect job seekers with training providers and employers to help fill job opportunities in the expanding disability sector.
RDA Limestone Coast chief executive David Wheaton said an employment coordinator would work closely with RDA career practitioners to identify local workforce needs and opportunities.
“We are advertising for an employment coordinator to work alongside RDA’s career practitioners to coordinate programs, projects and services in partnership with local businesses, training providers and councils,” Mr Wheaton said.
“RDA Limestone Coast has offered career and workforce development services for more than a decade now, so we are well placed to deliver NDIS support.
“The Limestone Coast disability workforce hub will be based at the Forestry SA building in Mount Gambier.”
The Limestone Coast hub will be among five hubs established across the state to support jobs in the disability sector including direct support, allied health, management and administration, human resources, workplace health and safety, information technology and transport and fitness.
The rollout of the NDIS is the biggest social reform since Medicare, introducing a new way of providing disability services that gives people with disability more choice about the support they receive.
More than 32,000 South Australians will receive services under the full scheme, up from around 17,000 pre-NDIS.
“The annual government spend will increase from $10m to $60m by 2019,” Mr Wheaton explained.
“Thousands of people will become eligible and the number of people being delivered NDIS support will increase from 4000 to 13,000 – the expanding sector will create around 500 full time jobs in the Limestone Coast.
“One of the things we are really excited about is working with start ups within the sector and working with established businesses to capitalise on new opportunities.”
Mr Wheaton said the key priority for the appointed employment coordinator would be to work with training providers to ensure job seekers had suitable skills for employment in the disability sector.
Once the NDIS is fully operational, more than $1.5 billion will be spent on disability services each year in South Australia, creating up to 6000 jobs across the state.
Disabilities minister Leesa Vlahos said being providing employers with appropriately skilled people was central to the State Government’s WorkReady strategy.
“To ensure we meet demand for services, we need to grow the disability sector workforce,” Ms Vlahos said.
“The Government’s Disability Workforce Hubs will support thousands of people already working in, or looking to enter, the disability sector as well as businesses that intend to deliver services to people with disability through the NDIS.”
