The Federal Government has recently completed its evaluation of the Disability Employment Services (DES) program and has made a number of observations and recommendations. In particular, it has recommended that several providers should lose their contracts due to poor performance. The review also commented that a number of providers “park” their most difficult jobseekers and deem them to be too difficult to place into open employment. It was also observed that a number of jobseekers only remained  in employment until the employer government subsidy expired and then the jobseekers were let go.

The ‘parking’ and employers only taking on a jobseeker with disability until the subsidy runs out are not new phenomena as they have been occurring for many years in the DES program.

The Federal Government has recently completed its evaluation of the Disability Employment Services (DES) program and has made a number of observations and recommendations.

Toozly is delighted to announce that it has completely upgraded its website incorporating a number of innovations and new features that will make accessing the website a much easier and a smoother process.

Toozly has a fresher look with easier navigation icons for people with disability and is now structured using WCAG guidelines for web content accessibility. For jobseekers, Toozly has now mostly removed the previous mandatory requirements in order to streamline registration and job applications. For employers Toozly has improved the subscription and job posting payment system as well as improved email notifications.

Employers can now pay for job ads, either single, multiple or an annual subscription providing an unlimited number of job ads over a 12-month period directly through the website using Credit card via Stripe. Stripe is a payment processing gateway with the same security features of PayPal.

Toozly now has incorporated an FAQ style “How to Guide” to assist both jobseekers and employers to navigate the website and you will find this in the Resource section.

For many years Toozly was advocating for jobseekers to video record selling themselves to a potential employer. With the sophistication of the latest smart phones, it was easy to set up the phone and record themself. The feedback we received from employers was that they were impressed with the innovation and resourcefulness of a jobseeker putting together a video presentation. For some jobseekers it may be a daunting experience to video themselves although Toozly encouraged them to try it as another option for placing a job application.

The videos were saved and then emailed to the employer along with a covering letter for a particular job.

Toozly has in the past worked with TAFE Colleges to design a 16-week pre-apprenticeship program specifically for school leavers and young people with a disability. Toozly worked with Swinburne College in Wantirna, Melbourne to design two such courses: one in automotive mechanics and one in hospitality.

Toozly chose both of these skills areas because of a shortage of skilled workers in both areas at that time in Melbourne and that apprenticeships were therefore in demand. Toozly called the program METWAY (Metropolitan East Training and Work Apprenticeship). Toozly provided support to the participants both at college and out of college to work on their competencies, their confidence and their ability to become independent both in the learning environment and the community.