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Faculty of Arts Admin Assistant, Mr Mark Hutchings attended the ceremony held at Parliament House, Canberra, at which the University of Wollongong was announced the national winner of the 2005 Prime Minister's Employer of the Year Award for the higher education category.
The awards recognise Australian businesses and organisations which have made a strong commitment to employing people with disabilities. The University of Wollongong was nominated for the award by Essential Personnel, a Wollongong-based organisation that provides recruitment, training and support services to people with disability. Staff with disabilities enjoy full careers at UOW and are employed across all salary levels.
"The University of Wollongong has had a long-term commitment to equity, which includes people with disabilities," said UOW's Director of Employment Equity and Diversity, Ms Robyn Weekes.
"We're not stars in terms of any particular programs, but we have been there for the long haul and have made a sustained effort over a significant period of time. We have had constant achievements in encouraging people into the workforce, to perform alongside other employees without any differentiation," Ms Weekes said.
The University has a Memorandum of Understanding with Essential Personnel. "One of the key elements in encouraging people with disabilities into the University has been our partnership with Essential Personnel.
"We've had an agreement with them for more than 15 years. We've been looking at placements of two people a year with disabilities through this partnership," Ms Weekes said.
Participation of people with a disability in the workforce is closely monitored at the University. "At present, we survey all our staff. Out of a workforce of 1,500, about 8% of staff has a disability," Ms Weekes said.
She said that the University would like to improve its representation of people with disabilities in the workforce to at least equal their representation in the general population which is now at about 12% in NSW. "That is our current target. We're a bit short at the moment, but we're getting there."
For instance, Mark Hutchings moved to Australia from New Zealand almost three years ago. He's been working at the University of Wollongong for nearly two and a half years. Mark is in a wheelchair.
"I was lucky enough to get a position here and it has enabled me to stay in Australia and further my wheelchair basketball career," said Mark. "I'm based in the Student Enquiry Centre, providing advice to students about their degrees. I also provide administrative support to academics in the School of English Literature, Philosophy and Languages."
Mark has found the accessibility of the University very good, and believes he is accepted as part of the team just as another worker.
"The University is a good role model for other workplaces on how to accept people with a disability. Everyone's got to be accepted on their merits and what they have to offer. Just because someone can't walk or see as well as anyone else, doesn't mean they can't do something as well as anyone else," he said.
Mark is considering returning to his studies for a Bachelor of Physical Education and Health degree and says he will be greatly assisted by having a job.
Dec 02, 2005
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