Unleashing Employment Opportunities Breakfast Event

Community Bridging Services (CBS) Inc. recently partnered with Australia Day Council of South Australia to create an event aiming to break down barriers and open conversations about the employment of people with disability.

The breakfast event held on Thursday September 7, 2023 encouraged attendees to have conversations about social inclusion and ask questions they might have been too afraid to ask. We wanted to start chipping away at that glass ceiling experienced by people with disability in society.

Our speakers included Gill Hicks AM MBE, Creative Director of Music Art Discussion, who highlighted the advantages of diverse perspectives and problem-solving in business. Matthew Nicholls, the Head of Tax and Special Projects at BAE Systems Australia, and Chris O’Connor, a CBS Inc. Jobnet client and Moonlight Speaker, shared their personal experiences living with disabilities and the benefits of employing people with disabilities. Michael Bois, the owner of Beg Your Pardon Menswear, talked about small business employment and the importance of using inclusive language. David Cooper, the Head of Property and Asset Management SA at Jones Lang La Salle, discussed the commercial advantages of social inclusion. It was a well-rounded and inclusive panel, bringing together a rich collective of experiences.

Some key speaker highlights included a challenge from Matthew Nicholls on the panel, who stated that “the problem starts when we have low expectations of people with disabilities, so what we need to do is change this mindset.”

Gill Hicks AM MBE reminded the attendees that people with disabilities are natural problem solvers, as they can face adversities on an extremely regular basis. Gill shared that if she was creating a team of strategic thinkers, that people with disabilities would get the first seat at the table.

David Cooper commended CBS Inc. Social Enterprise Community Concierge SA, for which he is a patron, for the innovative business model bringing people with disabilities to the front of the building at 25 Grenfell Street, instead of hiding away in the back room.

The main take away from the event was to encourage employers to move away from waiting for people with disabilities to show up, and to actively search for the hidden talent that is there.

Disability employment, at its core, is not merely a moral imperative; it is a pathway to unlocking untapped potential and fostering a more equitable and enriched workforce. If you would like to act, and understand how people with disabilities can provide skills and solutions to your employment needs, please reach out to CBS Inc.

The CBS Inc. team can assist you with tailored job matching within your workplace, accessing workplace modifications, on the job support, provide disability awareness training, and assistance with retaining current staff facing barriers.