Fresh from his second win at Wimbledon, Paralympian Dylan Alcott has signed on to develop a new job platform designed to connect people with disabilities to potential employers.
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The federal government will provide $3.5 million in funding to the digital resource Mr Alcott and his disability consulting organisation Get Skilled Access plan to launch next year.
It's expected to attract 100,000 job seekers with a disability and connect them with 45,000 businesses and organisations within an 18-month period.
The online portal, called WorkAble, will offer users alternative options to apply for roles within inclusive organisations looking to hire candidates with relevant experience and skillsets
Applicants will be able to showcase their personality and abilities through bite-sized videos to supplement their application for a position with the option of removing written applications altogether.
Mr Alcott said the idea was to offer a more flexible approach to job hunting for people with disabilities in order to help increase the chance of employment.
"Designed and delivered by people with disability, it will enable individuals to showcase their skills and capabilities by defining their own brand," Mr Alcott said.
"It will give people with disability the opportunity to challenge perceptions about employment and increase employers' ability to access a highly capable but often overlooked workforce."
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There are more than 2.1 million Australians of working age with a disability. Figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing show those with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed as those in the working population without disabilities.
Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston said the program would help remove some of the barriers those seeking work often faced.
"Job-searching can be daunting for everyone but people with disability often face additional obstacles, especially when navigating mainstream services," she said.
"By addressing barriers at the job-searching and application stages we are aiming to increase employment opportunities for job seekers with disability across all roles and industries.
"We want every person with disability who has the capacity to work to get a job and this project will help bridge the gap by educating business leaders about disability inclusion."