By Bonny Burrows
Jobseekers with a disability will be given a fair chance at employment at St John of God Berwick Hospital.
The hospital and job agencies Max Employment and Dandenong Valley Job Support signed a disability employment collaboration agreement on 8 March.
It means the three organisations will work in partnership to support people with disability to “at least access the interview stage” if a job were to become available at the hospital.
The hospital believes that despite possessing qualifications and experience, very few people with a disability get invited to a job interview.
This is due to “an ill-informed understanding on the part of the employer of what it actually means to give a person with a disability a job”.
“Many people miss out because they have a disability, not because they don’t have the skills,” St John of God Healthcare Group Co-ordinator of Social Justice Advocacy Neal Murphy said.
The healthcare group expects to have an additional 200 caregiver job opportunities once the new $120 million Kangan Drive hospital is complete, providing “a change for people to get what they desperately want – a career in healthcare”.
The hospital said they would provide equal employment opportunities for job seekers, regardless of their disability status.