ReadyTech recognised for innovation in disability employment services

 

The National Employment Services Association (NESA) has named ReadyTech business Esher House’s collaboration with WISE Employment as a 2019 Innovation in Disability Employment Award finalist.

Australia’s peak employment services body, the National Employment Services Association (NESA), has named a ReadyTech collaboration with employment services provider WISE Employment as one of Australia’s most innovative programmes in the disability employment services (DES) sector.

ReadyTech business Esher House worked with DES provider WISE Employment over a period of two years to integrate behavioural science-driven participant assessment technology and targeted resilience interventions into its disability employment operations across South Australia.

The programme’s impact on WISE Employment’s operations and the outcomes of jobseeker participants using WISE’s employment services led to NESA naming the initiative as an Innovation in Disability Employment Award finalist ahead of this year’s 2019 NESA Awards for Excellence.

The NESA Innovation in Disability Employment Award recognises those employment service providers, employment organisations or employers who are using innovative service strategies or initiatives to contribute to the employment inclusion of people living with a disability.

Esher House CEO Darren Coppin said the WISE Employment and Esher House collaboration in South Australia was a microcosm of what is possible for employment services in Australia.

“We’re all about building better lives for participants in employment services. Together with WISE Employment, we aimed to demonstrate how behavioural science and data analytic technology can lead to a better understanding of jobseekers that enables case managers to support jobseekers in a very efficient, very person-centric and very human way. This is reflected in the higher outcomes achieved.”

A central challenge faced by DES providers is understanding job seekers and building trust from the beginning, so they can respond to barriers effectively through targeted intervention services and progress the participant into meaningful work. The ability to get this right quickly can literally mean the difference between meaningful employment and the slip into long-term unemployment.

The WISE and Esher House collaboration sought to understand and respond to participant attitudes towards employment, using the latest in behavioural science, predictive analytics and machine learning. In overhauling and innovating WISE’s case management approach, it was able to facilitate a more person-centric, efficient, accurate and human approach to participant support.

Following its success in South Australia, WISE Employment went on to integrate the Esher House into its disability employment services operations Australia-wide. WISE Employment has a total of 139 DES offices across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne said NESA’s recognition for innovation would be welcomed by a ReadyTech team who were all working towards improving employment and education outcomes.

“ReadyTech’s roots are in delivering employment outcomes for job seekers through innovative technology – including those people living with a disability seeking employment through DES. The DES sector is full of people and organisations who are innovating and improving the employment outcomes of people living with a disability, and we’re proud to be named among them this year.”