After years of searching, Linda Soussa says a new initiative has given her autistic son a chance to enter the workforce.
“It has been wonderful,” said the mother of Ronan Soussa, in an interview with The Epoch Times.
“[He] was diagnosed [with autism] when he was two and a half, so quite young. He’s come a long way. It was very difficult when he was young.
“He didn’t have a lot of communication. His speech was quite delayed, so we did a lot of therapy ... As you can imagine, it’s very hard [for people with disability] to try and find employment. They need a little bit more guidance and more support to work their way through that process.”
Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA) first helped Ronan gain work experience, guiding him and supporting him as he built his skill set.
“And then it was a process of going through interviews, learning how to get through the interview process, supported in that way until he eventually was given employment at the Moxy hotel,” Linda said during the official opening of Help Enterprise’s new Hurstville office on Dec. 2 in Sydney’s south.
The IEA replaces Disability Employment Services (DEC) and will expand nationally to provide support to people with disability.
Ronan’s Success Story ‘Reassuring’
Ronan currently works at the Moxy Sydney Airport hotel as a food and beverage attendant.
“He’s been there three months, so it’s quite early, but he’s learning new things all the time. The hotel [staff] have been wonderful as well, supporting him and teaching him. So it’s all about finding the right place that suits the skills and the ability of the person,” said Linda.
“That’s very reassuring for me as a parent, knowing that he’s not just thrown in the deep end and has to learn how to swim. Someone is there to help him and support him through that whole employment journey as well.”
Reforms to Social Services Sector to Offer Customised Help
Talking about the transition from DES to IEA, Steve Wyborn, the CEO of Help, which was chosen by the Department of Social Services to deliver the IEA program, said the goal of the company remained the same.
“That hasn’t changed,” he told The Epoch Times.
Wyborn introduced new measures within the IEA contract to support participants in their progress towards employment.
“So it’s not as focused on getting them into employment straight away,” he said.
“We’re actually acknowledged by the government and supported by the government to have steps in place to work with them, to progress over time, so that we’re not pushing them into the wrong job.
“We’re giving them the tools and skills they need so when they do get to work, they can stay there.”
Help is a brand under the IntoWork Group, along with Interact Australia, whose CEO Jamie Barden spoke to The Epoch Times.
“We’ve already seen, participants are not aware of who their provider is, where they’re supposed to go,” he said. “We don’t want a continuation of what we’ve seen.”
Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek said the new approach was more customised.
“This new personalised and specialist approach puts people with disability back at the heart of the services, helping them achieve their career goals,” Plibersek said in a July 20 statement announcing the delivery of the program.
Based on a 2024 report on disability employment by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2018, only 48 percent of people aged 15–64 with disability were employed. In comparison, the employment rate among those without disability was 80 percent.
