A traineeship is a structured employment and training program, usually of one to two years duration (depending on whether it is full-time or part-time), generally in non-trade related areas. Financial incentives are available to eligible employers to encourage them to take on a trainee. A trainee earns an income, gains work experience and has the opportunity to learn new skills in a hands-on learning environment. On successful completion of the traineeship the trainee is awarded a nationally recognised qualification, which can lead to further study or employment.

Employers who take on trainees (including many who currently employ workers with disability through EDGE) are expected to have a strong commitment to training and to provide the necessary support and encouragement throughout the traineeship. Naturally, the employer and the trainee will be assisted in this regard by EDGE staff.

Trainees are expected to work toward achieving the training outcomes, attend off-the-job training or receive on-the-job training, complete the tasks set by the Registered Training Organisation, and keep a record of progress in both work and training. EDGE has a specialist Apprenticeship and Traineeship and who assist the trainee to meet these expectations.

There are a growing number of industries in which traineeships are offered. Traineeships are also available to students who are in their final years at school. School-based traineeships provide an excellent opportunity for students to begin preparing themselves for their future careers before they even leave school. The traineeship is also an excellent bridge to a work-based traineeship or apprenticeship after leaving school. EDGE has established partnerships with 60 Perth schools to assist students with disability to secure school-based traineeships through its very successful and popular SWEAT Program.

Trainees who successfully complete their traineeships are awarded a nationally recognised Certificate level qualification in their area of training. Traineeships involve a minimum of 832 hours of paid employment, which provides both valuable work experience and much appreciated income for the trainee. The training component of the traineeship is usually undertaken during school hours and can be delivered at the school, on the job or elsewhere. EDGE is currently supporting some 30 trainees with a wide range of disability in a variety of traineeships.

EDGE has established partnerships with three traineeship providers (Hospitality Group Training, Apprenticeships Australia and WA Group Training Scheme) that employ trainees and then place them with employers in a wide range of industries. The partnerships are mutually beneficial because Group Training Organisations can open doors to prospective employers and EDGE can provide on-the-job and off-the-job support to trainees with disability employed by Group Training Organisations.

For more information about traineeships visit: www.apprenticeships.training.wa.gov.au

An apprenticeship is a structured employment and training program, usually of three to four years duration, that leads to becoming a qualified tradesperson. The training combines practical experience at work with off the job training with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). An RTO can be either a private provider or a TAFEWA college. Financial incentives are available to eligible employers to encourage them to take on an apprentice. An apprentice earns an income, gains work experience and has the opportunity to learn new skills in a hands-on learning environment.

On successful completion of the apprenticeship the apprentice gains a nationally recognised qualification and a trade certificate.

Employers who take on apprentices (including many who currently employ workers with disability through EDGE) are expected to have a strong commitment to training and to provide the necessary support and encouragement throughout the traineeship. Naturally, the employer and the apprentice will be assisted in this regard by EDGE staff.

EDGE established the first apprenticeship program for people with disability in Western Australia in October 1999. It has since assisted more than 250 people with all types of disability undertake apprenticeships.

EDGE has established partnerships with three of Perth's biggest apprenticeship providers (Hospitality Group Training, Apprenticeships Australia and WA Group Training Scheme) which employ many hundreds of apprentices and then place them with employers in a wide range of industries. The partnerships are mutually beneficial because Group Training Organisations can open doors to prospective employers and EDGE can provide on-the-job and off-the-job support to apprentices with disability employed by Group Training Organisations.

EDGE is also able to secure funding through disability apprenticeship subsidy programs that offer generous wage subsidies for employers and funding for workplace modifications, aids and equipment, extra tutoring, interpreter or note-taker support, and mentor support.

For more information about traineeships visit: www.apprenticeships.training.wa.gov.au

Surveys show that university graduates with disability are much less likely to gain employment, or gain employment in their field of study, than other graduates. Almost one-third of job-seeking graduates with disability remained unemployed six months after graduating, more than twice the unemployment rate of other graduates. Those graduates with disability who were employed were more likely to be working part-time or be self-employed. More than half of the employed graduates reported that they had been unsuccessful in being able to pursue their career aspirations. Graduates with more visible disability experienced greater difficulty in finding work.

Negative employer attitudes, lack of work experience immediately prior to graduation, poor job hunting skills and strategies and lack of knowledge about workplace modifications and assistive equipment are the most commonly reported barriers to employment.

EDGE offers career planning, job placement and job support services to university graduates with disability. The services that EDGE can provide include career planning and advice, matching students with industry mentors, job search assistance, resume and application review, workplace modifications, assistive equipment and post-placement training and support.

EDGE Employment Solutions believes that all people with disability have a right to work in open employment regardless of the extent or severity of their disability. A combination of on-the-job support and well-designed workplace modifications and equipment, means that anybody with a disability should be able to find a satisfying and rewarding job.

EDGE has a complement of 80 highly qualified and well trained staff and has been successfully supporting people with disability in jobs and careers of their choice since 1984.

EDGE is one of the largest and longest established employment agencies for people with disability in Australia. EDGE has been equally successful in supporting people with intellectual, sensory, physical, neurological and psychiatric disability.

EDGE is widely regarded as a national leader in supporting people with disability in open employment and has trained more than 5,000 staff from 600 other agencies around Australia in how to provide quality employment services.

EDGE believes that people with disability must play a central role in planning their own careers. People with disability and their families are in the best position to identify their own needs and to determine their own career preferences.

Your contact with EDGE starts with an interview with a Customer Relations Advisor, who will help you to determine the type the job that you want. Relatives, partners or friends are welcome to come to the interview, which lasts for about an hour. At the interview you will be asked about where you have worked in the past and what jobs you would like in the future. We will also ask you what skills and abilities that you possess in relation to your preferred jobs and any special considerations that we may need to take into account. From the information you provide us, we will be able to put together an Individual Employment Plan that matches your skills, abilities and job interests. There are no formal assessments.

EDGE believes that the key to finding the right job is matching the job to the person - not placing the person in the first job that comes up. People also have a right to be properly paid for the work that they do. EDGE will always seek jobs that pay the award rate.

As soon as we have completed the Individual Employment Plan we will start immediately to hunt for the right job. One of EDGE’s Employer Consultants will meet with you in the following days and help put together a professional resume. We have a network of more than 300 employers who are currently employing people with disability through EDGE. In fact, most of the new jobs that we secure for people with disability are offered to us by these employers, because they are so happy with the quality of the people we support and the quality of our services. Because EDGE specialises in working with major corporations and government departments (more than 75% of all our jobs are with these employers), there is a very good chance that the job you want will be available within our existing network of employers.

EDGE believes that the key to a rewarding career is a good job match with the right employer backed up by good on-the-job and off-the-job support.

Once the right job is secured, a Job Co-ordinator from EDGE will start to prepare for your job start. The Job Co-ordinator usually knows your employer already and will remain on-site to support you and the company until your employer is satisfied with your work performance and you are satisfied with your job. Support from your Job Co-ordinator will decrease as you become more independent and settled in your job. Your Job Co-ordinator will stay in touch with you and your employer and will be available to provide additional support should your duties change.

As your work skills and experience increase it is natural that you will wish to move into new and more challenging jobs. EDGE will be there to advise you in those choices, to help to map out the road ahead and to provide the necessary job search and job support along the way.

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