Thanks to the Employment Assistance Fund and a supportive employer, 28 year old Patrick is working full time in a job he loves.
Patrick has a lower back injury which has made it hard for him to find and keep a job. With help from his Disability Employment Services provider, Macarthur Disability Services, Patrick secured a job with a Western Sydney engineering firm, CBA Engineering.
The only problem was, the new job was labour intensive and required Patrick to stand for long periods at a workbench assembling and packing the company’s fabricated metal parts.
‘When I hired Patrick I knew there would have to be some modification to the workplace to allow him to perform the work’, says Chris from CBA. ‘I could see that he had the skills we were after, but the workstation needed some adjustment because of his injury.’
Through Patrick’s service provider, Chris applied for assistance from the Employment Assistance Fund for a new sit/stand stool and some work bench adjustments.
The Employment Assistance Fund is an Australian Government scheme that pays for the costs involved in modifying the workplace or purchasing special or adaptive equipment for eligible employees with disability.
More than a year later, Patrick’s employer could not be happier.
‘The Employment Assistance Fund allowed me to employ Patrick and I couldn’t fault his work’, Chris said.
Modifications to your workspace may enable you to do your job. At your interview, you may like to draw you employer’s attention to the Employment Assistance Fund and let them know that this support is available.
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