Customised Employment Community of Practice Australia

05/03/2025

It's taken a while to curate our highly focused small group conference. Very different from the usual stuff, it has one stream running each day with a blend of academia, service providers, people with a disability, employers, and advocates. Everyone is given 40-45 minutes to present and discuss issues raised by the audience as we try to cover the issues that are important to delivering practice that creates meaningful careers and employment from school to retirement.

We hope you'll join us as we set the agenda for Customised Employment practice with your input and that of our global research and practice partners. The agenda is on the CDERP College conference page.

www.college.cderp.com.au

10/02/2025

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ensuring-fidelity-customised-employment-ceofect-framework-smith-uxjvc

The Customised Employment Organisational Fidelity & Elevating Capacity Tool (CEOFECT) is an Australian adaptation of the EFFECT tool, which was initially developed by our colleagues at the University of Massachusetts (UMASS). In collaboration with UMASS, we refined the tool to ensure that Australian

07/02/2025

Our Director, Dr Peter Smith, has written a chapter on disability employment methods for this book. We look forward to reading his work soon.

06/02/2025

Great News: Clare will be speaking at the conference and will have a lot of great information that will engage all of us.

Another reason to attend!

30/01/2025

We're in the process of compiling our existing resources and all the new ones developed for the ACRE-accredited Customised Employment training program into a handbook for course participants. It will be available in electronic and hard copy and will have annual updates. This is another example of how we work to professionalise the delivery of Customised Employment through accredited and recognised employment professionals. There are lots more developments unique to Australia's employment ecosystem coming this year.



https://college.cderp.com.au/

28/01/2025

Early bird registration for the CE live conference ends this week. The presenter lineup continues to evolve, with more announcements this week. We'll be firming up a social networking event over the next few days, along with our catering menu. If you're coming, remember to pass on any details about accommodations and dietary requirements to ensure that we can accommodate your participation.

27/01/2025

This will be fun and educational; don't miss out on being at our highly personalised event for professionals and families alike. You will explore practice, accredited training, real-world outcomes, and ways to use Customised Employment in different settings such as the NDIS, DES and Social Entreprises. Join like-minded people who are changing employment- one job, one person, one employer at a time.

10/12/2024

Early details for the Customised Employment Conference, March 2025.

https://college.cderp.com.au/conference-2025/

27-28th March 2025. Join us for the Customised Employment 2025 conference live. Held at Guide Dogs Victoria, 2-6 Chandler Highway, Kew, it promises to be the CE event of 2025. Two days, eighteen sessions, fantastic discussions and a visit to the puppies! This promises to be an exciting opportunity t...

02/12/2024

We have rescheduled our Customised Employment Community of Practice Zoom session to 18th December 2024 at 11AM (AEDT).

It's a great opportunity to chat with us, ask questions and voice any topics you are interested in.

If you would like to register, or have any queries, please reach out via email to: sophie.leckie@cderp.com.au.

… See more

19/11/2024

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/advocating-personalisation-des-blueprint-success-dr-peter-smith-4gmlc

The Australian Disability Employment Services (DES) system is poised for transformation, with new contracts set to redefine how we support job seekers with disabilities. While the upcoming model promises innovation, the real challenge is ensuring that these reforms deliver personalised, meaningful e

10/11/2024

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/time-rethink-disability-employment-australia-dr-peter-smith-lyb9c

03/11/2024

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/transforming-supported-employment-people-disabilities-dr-peter-smith-apybc

In 2016, we started working diligently to develop alternative pathways for Australian Disability Entreprises to create open employment pathways for their clients. Findings from a 2018 study on supported employment, along with a 2021 follow-up study—both conducted by the Centre for Disability Emplo...

01/11/2024

Our new Customised Employment training program is undergoing accreditation with the international standards body against the published competencies for practice. Contextualising it to Australia while also respecting the US origins of Customised Employment required a fair bit of work. With twelve lessons and over 90 topics plus mentoring, assessments, practicals and quizzes, the program is very comprehensive. This is a first for Australia and, in many ways, a recognition of our decades of work in this space. The program is available now and is very detailed. I'm happy to let you look under the hood upon request.

The course is asynchronous and online, but it can also be delivered face-to-face to groups or through hybrid methods.

https://college.cderp.com.au/courses/customised-employment-discovery-professional-2/

31/10/2024

A new Practice Notes is now available for downloading.

Enjoy.

Link: https://tinyurl.com/3rzp9u2x

30/10/2024

Some of the amazing kids from Melton Special School who participate in our Glide In program doing things many of us could only dream of.

https://youtu.be/GfozKzxjtxs?si=qn1bGGGScB9DIuyG

22/10/2024

Here are some highlights from our Annual Customised Employment Retreat. There is a lot of exciting work happening to elevate disability employment practice.

11/10/2024

The Centre for Disability Employment Research and Practice (CDERP) and the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE) are uniquely aligned in their mission to promote high-quality employment services and community inclusion for people with disabilities. CDERP, a leading organisation in Australia, is the only member of ACRE outside of the USA, a distinction that underscores its commitment to upholding international standards in disability employment practice.

The Partnership and Its Impact

This strategic partnership between CDERP and ACRE is a significant milestone in advancing best practices and setting new benchmarks in the Australian context. ACRE's global recognition for certifying training programs and setting competency standards for professionals in the disability employment sector ensures that CDERP's training programs are aligned with internationally accepted competencies. This partnership also allows for the customisation of the programs to address the unique needs of the Australian disability landscape. It represents the next step in our long-standing technical alliance with Griffin Hammis Associates, the pioneers in Customised Employment.

Customised Employment Training Program: A First of Its Kind in Australia

One of the most significant outcomes of this collaboration is the upcoming launch of the new Customised Employment Professional Training Program, a pioneering initiative in Australia. This program, meticulously developed by CDERP, is tailored to the specific needs of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Disability Employment Services (DES), and the social enterprise employment sector in Australia.

It will meet ACRE's stringent certification standards and incorporate locally relevant content that mirrors Australia's unique policy frameworks, funding models, and employment landscapes. This program is a culmination of CDERP's extensive research and training in disability and customised employment in Australia.

Key Features of the Customised Employment Professional Training Program:
• Contextualised Curriculum: The training content is deeply contextualised to the Australian employment services environment, addressing the operational nuances of NDIS and DES and the role of social enterprises in providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
• Focus on Best Practices: The program integrates international best practices from ACRE, such as person-centred planning and supported employment strategies, with local insights and case studies that resonate with Australian service providers.
• Outcome-Driven Approach: The program is designed to equip practitioners with the skills needed to deliver sustainable employment outcomes. It emphasises hands-on learning and practical application in real-world settings, ensuring that the skills learned are immediately applicable and practical.

Driving Innovation and Quality in Disability Employment Services

The launch of this Customised Employment Training Program marks a significant step forward in professionalising the disability employment sector in Australia. By leveraging its partnership with ACRE, CDERP is not only bringing world-class training and certification to Australia but is also contributing to the evolution of employment services for people with disabilities on a global scale. This is a testament to the transformative power of dedicated work in the disability employment sector, inspiring all involved to continue their efforts.

This collaboration showcases how CDERP and ACRE are working together to create a more inclusive and competent workforce that can deliver meaningful employment outcomes for people with disabilities in Australia and beyond. Through these efforts, CDERP is poised to shape the future of disability employment practices in Australia, ensuring that the workforce is equipped to support individuals with disabilities in achieving their career aspirations.

This is just the first of many new programs that will be released over the next few months to support the ongoing professionalisation of disability employment practitioners. You can’t dabble in disability employment; you’re either all in or you're not in it at all.

"We felt that it was time to take the next step in Customised Employment training after decades of researching, training and working in disability employment. This is just the first evidence of our new working alliance quietly working to progress disability employment outcomes, and shortly, we'll announce another partnership that will expand the profession and elevate working with clients with mental illness in this space."

Dr Peter Smith

11/10/2024

Fresh from the printers today, the guide to Employment Counselling and the NDIS highlights its role in delivering holistic employment support that focuses on capacity building, customised employment, self-determination, advocacy, and employer engagement. The emerging role of employment counsellors elevates NDIS employment support. This is just one of a number of exciting outcomes that we'll discuss at our Customised Employment Retreat next week.