LRC COMMUNICATIONS  DIRECTOR: KATHY BARAKIS

                   

current projects

WORKABILITY PATHWAYS

Workability Pathways seeks to provide economic and social participation for the disadvantaged, disabled and long-term unemployed.  There are many barriers to employment, more so for people who need additional support. One barrier is the lack of post-school accredited and accessible industry-based education, something that has not been delivered by VET for some decades now.   Another barrier is the sheer number and composition of mainstream and disability service providers, each using their own “ways of working” to support people with additional needs into learning, community participation, and supported employment.  Other barriers are the readiness of employers to design inclusive workplaces, and biassed attitudes that exist in some members of our community. Workability Pathways aims to help people secure and maintain open employment through accessible accredited education, sharing of employment opportunities (regardless of "footing") between and within mainstream and government contracted recruitment and support providers, as well as better prepared and supported employers who demonstrate a commitment to social and economic inclusion.  Ultimately, Workability Pathways enables jobseekers choice and control of their career, and employers a workforce that is inclusive and represents the community they engage in.

past projects

AS ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT FOR GOVERNMENT:

  • Analysed data from the People Matter Survey to develop diversity profiles for staff. The aim was to identify common trends around recruitment, development, promotion and retention by cohort, and then design programs to optimise performance in psychological safe and inclusive workplaces.
  • Reported on First Peoples recruitment, development and retention data to inform the Yoorook Justice Commission and the Closing the Gap report.
  • Developed the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy and action plan. The plan was endorsed by the Board without change.  Using PROSCI’s ADKAR change management model, I worked with cross-functional working groups to raise Awareness and Desire for change and to identify future projects that would benefit from a “DEI-lens”. The strategy of using existing projects is a lever to build Knowledge and Ability in our people through practical application.  Concurrently I worked with IT and Strategic Communications to review our capability to deliver accessible communication and training to internal and external stakeholders, including for people with reading or hearing difficulty, First Nations People and for multicultural communities. We also captured “traffic” data to Reinforce desired impact.
  • Managed the successful transfer of 80 Supported Disability Accommodation facilities transferred from the Victorian government.
  • Coached six Project Managers to deliver grants awarded under “Keeping our sector strong” (the Victorian Government’s workforce plan for the disability sector) I developed a successful campaign to place 279/350 students waiting for industry placement to complete their Disability Support Worker certificates. The campaign was endorsed by employment and education ministers; developed as a study on “collaboration” by Australian Tertiary Education Network on Disability (ATEND).

If you would like to know more about these projects, contact LRC.