Work experence for the disadvantaged

Terry Deacon's picture
Submitted by Terry Deacon on 19 October 2009 - 2:11pm
What's this idea about?
In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
Work Experience for the disadvantaged. The disadvantaged includes those with poverty, homelessness, long term unemployment, mental health issues, physical disability, ex-offenders and D&A issues. Work experience is a program identical to what is done in secondary schools for the youth. To make it happen needs someone to facilitate it, IT or web space for a matching portal. Candidates linked into some kind of community or health service provision and Employers willing to let someone onto the floor for a period of time.
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
The social need meets the lack of insight the disadvantaged have to be job ready and win paying roles in the workplace. There is also a cross communication between the mainstream community and the problems of the disadvantaged. Work experience opportunity can lead to actual employment and the discovery of good human resources. Currently pathways into employment discriminate against the disadvantage so someone can prove something to others as well as to themselves.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
While work experience is not a new idea it is a successful program only in high schools or small-unknown services for fortunate refugees or some mature age workers. Work experience works yet case managers or employment services do not create work experience opportunities or match them. It would lead to great outcomes if the disadvantaged could embark on this program instead of being forgotten.
Stage of development
What inspired you to come up with your idea in the first place?: 
I am a consumer of mental heath services that has been consistently employed for five years since my graduation. I cross paths with many who have mental health issues, the disadvantaged and the carers of family members with mental health issues. I am always being asked if my jobs would offer a place for volunteer time or any small amount of paid work. It is a shame that every time I cannot do anything for people I know who are up to it. This tends to leave others out in the cold with no real opportunity to participate in a workplace.
From 1-5, what stage of development would you say your idea is in? - Explain further: 
1
What can we do for you?
Select which are the one or two most important things that you need to help the development of your idea: 
Mentor - to help you through the process of turning your idea into reality
If Social Innovation Camp is able to help push your idea forward, do you have the time or desire to take ownership of it?: 
Yes
Anything else you want to tell us?: 
Although I cannot attend the camp I would be very grateful if the idea was tossed around without me there. This is a gap in the community helping others in the community and should happen more. It is good for young students about to go out into the world but it should also be there for the adults returning to the mainstream world and is very much in demand by potential candidates.
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Matt Daniel's picture

Re: Work experence for the disadvantaged

by Matt Daniel - 2 Feb 2010 - 9:25am
Hi there, Sounds like a great idea. There's a similar program in the UK that would be well worth you checking out. It's a youth project called 'Loops' that connects young people with 'experiences' (work or other) in their community. They ran a prototype of the service last year, and it looks like they did some pretty cool stuff. There was an interactive website component to it, but it seems they've taken it down at the end of the prototye. Here's a couple of links from the agency that ran the project: http://www.participle.net/projects/view/4/79/ http://www.participle.net/blog/view/4/158 Hope you find this useful Cheers
Humanise's picture

Implementation methods for Work experence for the disadvantaged

by Humanise - 30 Jan 2010 - 4:10am
I have created a blog detailing some methods that allow the Internet Implementation of this idea. The blog is called 'Implementation Options for some Social Innovation Camp Ideas'. It is available at the following address: http://asix.org.au/content/implementation-options-some-social-innovation... It should be noted that all the following ideas have some similarity in their required implementation tasks: 2 Bob's Worth Fancy a match? Can I borrow a.... Develop a car pooling database package for local councils Work experience for the disadvantaged Work Placements Directory Community toolshed online Digs for the disadvantaged My blog starts with implementation ideas that are very specific to the task, allowing the task to be easily implemented without needing specialist skills or programmers, and then progresses to those that give a lot more flexibility but need more skills to implement. If anyone wants to try out the first and easiest option then they can contact me and I will setup an installation where you can try it out.
Priscilla's picture

Re: Work experence for the disadvantaged

by Priscilla - 24 Nov 2009 - 11:26am
I've also had a similar idea, but focussing around getting new migrants some work experience so they have exposure to an Australian workplace and therefore are more attractive to Australian employers. However I agree with fxi's comment above that there are services which exist that could be changed slightly to accommodate this idea ... rather than starting from scratch.
totocol's picture

Re: Work experence for the disadvantaged

by totocol - 4 Nov 2009 - 9:54am
Do you have any idea on how people would be selected to apply for jobs there? - Would there be any way to screen the people to make sure they are disadvantaged or you think it could just be based on trust?
fxl's picture

Re: Work experence for the disadvantaged

by fxl - 22 Oct 2009 - 11:30pm
I wonder if there are issues around access, accessibility, and equity with this idea. Might the able say that they are competing with the disadvantaged for work? It's unfortunate but, in the media, ex-offenders are only one step above people in prisons. The idea could work, but how can it be positioned in the face of robust opposition and strong criticism from the conservative? Having said that, the idea could launch at a small scale, and with enough wins and employers/organisations to back it, it could have a very positive result. Have you searched and checked to see if there are any services that might be re-used to meet this need? Can the standard job-matching facilities, or work placement systems be used to do this sort of thing? Maybe it only needs a chat with the people from monster.com or seek.com.au or one of those places to create a section for work-experience, and the disadvantaged can apply there? Cheers.

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