Touchstone Autumn 2013 - Cerebral Palsy League

Regional Insight
New disability employment services
to open on the Sunshine Coast
Human spirit
rises above
the flood
waters
to help
people with
disability
Queensland Floods
Bundaberg was
devastated by the
flood and Cerebral
Palsy League lent a
hand to help people
with physical disability
Sunshine Coast job seekers with
disability have a new specialised
recruitment service to help them
enter the workforce with the
recent opening of Mylestones
Employment at Caloundra and
Maroochydore.
The agencies are two of four
new Mylestones locations on the
Sunshine Coast, with services at
Noosa and Nambour opening this
month.
General Manager of Training
and Employment Wendy Lavelle
heralded the new locations as a
welcome resource for Sunshine
Coast job seekers with disability
and employers looking for keen,
trained workers.
“Mylestones has assisted hundreds
of people get ready for work,
develop a career plan, find the
right job and stay in the job,”
Wendy said.
“The difference between
Mylestones and other agencies
is that we provide a clear
employment pathway tailored
to each individual job seeker to
achieve their work goals.
“We invest in their career every
step of the way from vocational
profiling, interview skills and job
readiness training through to
on-the-job support and ongoing
training to build their skill set and
progress their careers.”
According to Wendy, employers in
the current job market are looking
for cost effective and innovative
ways to recruit the right staff to
their businesses, and Mylestones
Employment offers both.
“Employers want people who will
be loyal and hard-working, and
people with disability are proven
to be reliable and highly motivated
to work,” she said.
“We can’t stress how important
it is to look at a candidate’s skills,
experience and whether they
can perform the job, rather than
whether they have a disability or
not.
“We offer personalised service
from a single dedicated consultant
throughout the recruitment,
placement and on the job support
process.
“We are also diligent in making
sure the skills of our job seekers
matches each company’s needs,
with a particular focus on
providing high quality ongoing
on-the-job support to ensure
durability and tenure,” Wendy said.
Mylestones Employment is a
division of the Cerebral Palsy
League and has 18 years
experience providing support to
people with a range of disabilities
to help them get a job and reach
their goals.
“We have a service already
operating in Townsville, and
we’re opening in Hervey Bay and
Maryborough this month with
services in Redcliffe, Capalaba,
Cleveland, Esk, Boonah, and Palm
Beach to follow,” said Wendy.
For more information about
Mylestones Employment services
or to find out more about
registering your business, visit
www.mylestones.org.au or contact
Mylestones Employment on
1300 ME JOBS (1300 63 5627).
2013 will see 13 new
Mylestones Employment
services open across
Queensland!
Photo: Mylestones Employment is
dedicated to securing genuine and
fulfilling job opportunities for people with
disability.
Amongst the flood waters,
devastation and loss, Bundaberg’s
Cerebral Palsy League has seen
the true meaning of community
spirit.
When people began to evacuate
their homes, the Cerebral Palsy
League found itself setting up an
unexpected evacuation centre for
people with disability.
Upon hearing about an elderly
man who had been evacuated
so urgently there was no time to
gather his wheelchair, walking
aids, medication or CPAP
machine, Cerebral Palsy League
Bundaberg Coordinator Chris
Dolgner immediately stepped in
to help.
“We would never turn anyone
away, and of course we are
equipped to particularly assist
people with physical disability,”
she said.
“Within an hour, we were caring
for four evacuees with physical
disability. In total, we have looked
after 15 evacuees from the flood
that has devastated our town.”
“The community has helped us so
much. We had equipment loaned
and donated, food provided,
clothing dropped off, beds and
mattresses delivered; it’s just
amazing,” she said.
Providing care for evacuees with
disability had Cerebral Palsy
League staff and volunteers
busy day and night, supporting
and assisting them with dayto-day
tasks like dressing,
bathing and personal hygiene,
feeding, medication and physical
movement.
Photo courtesy of Paul Beutel
“Our visitors were a lovely bunch
who were terribly grateful for such
a lovely home and care,” Chris
said.
“Unfortunately, the urgency of the
evacuation meant some of them
didn’t have their wheelchairs,
From the CEO
The storms and floods that
battered our coastline over the
Australia Day long weekend
have left thousands affected.
Fortunately, the Cerebral Palsy
League was there to ensure
our clients and other people
with physical disability were
supported and safe during this
terrifying time.
We were able to keep most of
our services operating through
mobility aids, medications and
other medical equipment.
“We did our best to make sure our
new friends received everything
they needed. We are so thankful
to our wonderful community for
enabling us to do so.”
the worst of the storms and
flooding and established
evacuation centres in many
locations.
Cerebral Palsy League staff and
volunteers and the amazing
communities they operate in
worked together to ensure our
clients were safe and cared for
- going well above and beyond
the call of duty. From the
bottom of my heart, I’d like to
thank you for your dedication,
hard work and support.
Kind regards, Angela Tillmans
12 Touchstone Autumn 2013
Touchstone Autumn 2013
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