Saturday night’s awards ceremony, hosted at the Theatre Royal, recognised the progress and success of Tasmania’s disability community, from participants and community figures to support workers and disability service providers.

Anita Herbert, the Tasmanian Regional Manager for STEPS Group, says the entire team and their participants are inspired by Niko and his story.

“Hearing Niko announced as the winner and seeing him up on that stage with his bright smile was amazing. I really can’t overstate how happy I am for him,” she said.

“When we first met Niko, it was clear that he’s an incredibly kind and hard-working young man. He had been struggling to find work by himself, and all he really needed was some guidance to make sure his work suited his strengths and his goals.”

Niko was nominated for the award due to his incredible personal journey; non-verbal until the age of nine, he credits the unwavering support of his family for his progress over the years, developing his communication skills and attending a mainstream school.

With the help of STEPS, Niko is now thriving, having secured paid employment in the hospitality industry.

“He’s always had a real passion for the hospitality industry, so our team worked with Niko to develop personalised training plans and support for him,” Ms Herbert said.

“Niko’s charisma and zest for life shines through in everything he does, he really draws you in with his energy. These achievements are nothing short of incredible and Niko is such a valued member of the STEPS community and the Tasmanian Work Mates Program.”

In September 2023, Niko began working with STEPS through their Work Mates program, which supports NDIS participants in seeking and maintaining employment through work experience and skill-building.

Niko had the opportunity to complete work experience at Subway Hobart, which he said was “a great chance to get some hands-on experience in the food industry.”

“I gained a lot of confidence and got very valuable training. I got a real feel for the general day-to-day tasks that needed to be done, and I’m ready to find permanent work,” Mr Moutsatsos said.

Prior to his time with STEPS Work Mates, Niko was an active member of the greater Hobart community, engaging in community projects throughout the region, attending TAFE classes, and volunteering for local organisations, including the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, Hobart City Council, and The Greek Festival.

Following his work and training, Niko secured a permanent position at McDonalds, which he says he enjoys every day thanks to his true passion for the hospitality industry.

Niko isn’t just thriving in the workplace; he has recently been approached to represent Tasmania in the Special Olympics in swimming, and is dedicated to training for his next competition.

The STEPS Work Mates team is incredibly proud of Niko and his accomplishments, and that’s no secret; they threw a surprise morning tea party to celebrate his success and recognise his hard work.

Niko says his experience with STEPS Work Mates has helped him build his confidence and equip him with the skills he needs to thrive in the industry and activities he truly loves.

Before starting with STEPS in September 2023, Niko was an active member of the greater Hobart community, actively engaging with projects and communities throughout the region, including volunteer work with the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and Hobart City Council.

Despite actively seeking work, Niko struggled to find permanent employment. After signing up for the STEPS Work Mates program at an expo, the Hobart team started working with him to understand his goals, aspirations, and skills.

The Hobart team discovered Niko’s passion for working in the hospitality industry, allowing them to develop and provide personalised training support, and programs to build Niko’s confidence and equip him with the skills needed to enter the industry. Niko’s Work Mates team identified an opportunity with Subway Hobart which enabled Niko to undertake a week of work experience.

During his time at Subway, Niko was entrusted with several core tasks, including food preparation and safe handling, customer service management, supply stocking, cleaning, and addressing onsite hazards to ensure the safety of staff and customers.

Niko found the opportunity enjoyable and said: “It was a great chance to get some hands-on experience in the food industry by allowing to get a feeling for the general day-to-day tasks needing to be undertaken. Through this experience I feel ready for upcoming interviews and further work.”

Lincoln Bivolcheff, Site Business Development Officer for STEPS Group Australia in Hobart, said he was thrilled to see Niko’s development and recent successes.

“It’s always a great feeling when we have our Work Mates clients achieve key milestones, and with Niko, he has always accomplished each milestone by actively engaging, working with us, and asking questions. Now that Niko has had a taste with his recent work experience, we’re looking forward to continuing to work with Niko and obtaining permanent employment,” Lincoln said.

STEPS Work Mates supports people looking to find employment in Disability Employment Services (DES) that need additional supports. STEPS Work Mates supports clients in building foundational employability skills, become work ready, and provides ongoing supports to help with continued employment outcomes.

Since 2020, Lorraine had continuously sought a job that matches her passions and aspirations and works to her strengths, but due to prior experience around the job seeking process Lorraine initially struggled.

When Senior Job Coach Stacey McKeand began working with Lorraine in 2023, she took the time to understand the type of work that would meet Lorraine’s needs and provided her with the support Lorraine needed to find opportunities. This led Stacey to support Lorraine in applying and getting hired with The Waterhole – Community Centre.

The Waterhole Community Centre is a Salvation Army-run program located in Alice Springs. This community-driven initiative provides shelter and refuge for those in need, access to valuable resources and essential utilities, and recreational activities and entertainment that community members can access for free or at a small cost.

During a recent visit to The Waterhole – Community Centre, Stacey and Lorraine had the opportunity to discuss Lorraine’s success. Lorraine couldn’t help but express her deep gratitude for the support that Stacey, STEPS, and the Waterhole have provided, which has not only helped her overcome personal challenges but also allowed her to find meaningful employment.

Stacey has been thrilled with Lorraine’s success: “It’s fantastic to see just how far Lorraine has come and the impact we have had supporting her in employment. Looking at where Lorraine started and how she didn’t know how to find work and comparing that to now, where she understands the employment process and is supporting her local community, it’s special”, says Stacey.

Through employment with the Waterhole Lorraine has found financial stability and the satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of others. We wish Lorraine all the best with her ongoing employment with the Waterhole.

Along with Work Mates, Seth has expanded his skill by undertaking voluntary employment with Hobart City Mission, where Seth has worked on building invaluable skills aimed at future employment including working across teams, coordinating stock, money handling, and customer support. This opportunity has allowed Seth to put into action the skills that he learnt in his time with the Work Mates program. This has also led to Seth seeking further volunteer employment with the Dogs Home of Tasmania where he has expanded his skills to include animal management and support.

Seth was then provided the opportunity to attend an info session with YourTown for a Pre-Employment Training Program offering the possibility of paid employment during or upon completion of the program. Seth attended a short interview after completing the info session, where he was asked questions about himself and knowledge of power tools. Shortly afterwards YourTown staff informed Seth that he was successful for the program and that they are looking forward to having him as part of the team.  

At a meeting with his dedicated Job Coach Ricky Fry, Wes and his mum enquired about Steps Work Mates Program. At the time he was participating in a group program session like Work Mates at Break Through under SLES funding, and he thought the one-on-one service that STEPS can provide may have been more beneficial.

Since then, Wesley has been assigned with Job Readiness Trainer Anthony Doosjen, participating in 1:1 sessions while still attending his fortnightly DES appointments.

In March 2023 Wesley started working at a meat processing plant JBS to support his family, working 10-hour shifts four days a week. Although this was a great income opportunity for Wesley, the stress and physical demands on Wesley’s body meant that this employment opportunity was neither suitable nor sustainable.

Knowing Wesley’s passion was for the automotive industry, Anthony approached Automotive Repair Centre (A.R.C.) to build a relationship and seek out work experience for him. This opportunity was the foot in the door that Wesley needed to work towards aligning his passion with employment. A short time later Anthony and Ricky worked together to negotiate for a paid position for Wesley at Burson’s Auto Parts. Wesley is now a sales assistant for automotive spare parts. Wesley now has a much healthier work life balance in an industry he loves, and his employer is very happy with the great passion and work ethic Wesley brings to the team.

At this stage Wesley is doing a lot of stock work and learning where everything is. He will soon be learning more about customer service. Ricky and Anthony will continue to support Wesley in his employment.

Wesley’s career goals remain to secure an apprenticeship in motor mechanics but currently he is very happy to be working with car parts and learning about the industry that he is so passionate about.

Under the guidance of her Job Readiness Trainer Carla Elliott, Illona studied and received her Supervisor Food Safety certificate and her Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate.

Illona’s goal was finding work in a supermarket. After door knocking and dropping in resumes across the Coast for several months, Illona got the opportunity to interview with the manager at Whites IGA Baringa, who offered her work experience. Illona had previously worked at Coles on the Gold Coast for ten years before relocating to the Sunshine Coast, so she came with some experience.

After her work experience finished, IGA offered Illona casual paid shifts. As a dedicated long-term supporter of STEPS, IGA continues to encourage and support people with disabilities and is in the process of hiring another one of STEPS’ Work Mates participants. Managers and staff at Whites IGA have included Illona as part of the team from day one. Without their continued support STEPS could not provide invaluable work experience opportunities for these participants.

Illona’s trainer Carla says Illona is very keen and dedicated to her job. The management and staff were immediately impressed with her cheerfulness and can-do attitude with every task she was given. Illona’s success goes to show she just needed an opportunity to showcase her skills and commitment. When asked how she feels about working at IGA, Illona expresses a sense of pride and happiness says Whites IGA ‘is the best place’ she’s ever worked at.

Find out how STEPS can help support you into employment today by visiting STEPS Work Mates.

The Queensland government, in line with this theme, is encouraging employers to recognise the dual benefits of fostering accessibility — not only does it improve workplace conditions for employees with disabilities, but it also proves advantageous to businesses’ bottom lines. By both recruiting and retaining staff with disabilities and ensuring their accessibility to customers living with disabilities, businesses can thrive in a more inclusive environment.

At STEPS, our commitment revolves around empowering individuals with disabilities. From assisting in employment to providing training opportunities that improve employability, we strive to advocate for accessibility at every turn. Our employment programs actively support people with disabilities, enabling them to make meaningful contributions through volunteer and employed work. Through NDIS services like Work Mates‘ job readiness training and job coaching through the Disability Employment Services, our trainers and coaches dismantle barriers, helping individuals create the lives they desire.

For the past 19 years, STEPS has proudly served as a Disability Employment Services (DES) provider, dedicated to supporting individuals in gaining and retaining jobs.

Reflecting on the positive impact of sustainable employment on DES clients, STEPS General Manager of DES Liz Leadbeater notes, “It has been a pleasure to watch the change in people’s attitudes to life and the enjoyment that comes from a weekly pay packet. We work with our clients prior to job starts to write a list of what they will be able to have through meaningful employment and what the celebration will be with the first pay. A footy game with the kids or dinner out. It’s a human right to be able to have employment, and our team has the privilege of supporting this to happen. Lives changed.”

Diversity and inclusion are fast becoming the foundation of great business in today’s world. Employers choosing to reognise and celebrate all abilities contribute to a more inclusive workplace. According to the Australian Chamber of Commerce, studies have shown “people with disability are reliable and productive employees, have fewer workplace accidents than employees without a disability and take fewer sick days.”

“People with disability know they can often need a bit more training and flexibility with onboarding. They are appreciative of opportunities and once settled will not want to leave an inclusive work culture and supportive employer. As the world moves to acknowledge diversity in all walks of life, we are encouraged by those employers who choose to see all abilities and embrace diversity in the workplace,” says Leadbeater.

STEPS Group Australia has been as a committed advocate in disability action, particularly through our DES program. “Our passion to deliver individualised service is an absolute priority. It is about the person in front of us and meeting their expectations. We start by finding what they don’t want to do and then focus on what they do want, and we make that happen. No two journeys are ever the same and their dreams are nurtured,” explains Leadbeater.

“We also deliver continuous servicing so that the customer has the same coach from induction through to long term employment. This makes all aspects of the DES service easier.”

Find out how STEPS Employment Solutions can help support you into employment today by visiting www.stepsemploymentsolutions.com.au

Although a qualified Dive Instructor and Swimming Teacher in Japan, Kashiko had to do a 2-day theory and 2-week practical training course with AUSTSWIM in English, completing the TSW327136 qualification -Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety course. She is now a Swimming Instructor at the Woree Pool.

She has this to say about her time at STEPS:

I spent a long and happy time at STEPS. When I started, I couldn’t even write in my own diary. However, thanks to the kind and empathetic teachers, my skills improved.  I made some really great memories with these teachers and classmates.  I used to have a complex because I was not good at speaking English, but now I teach swimming to children and speak English every day. I am having a great time! I work 6 days a week now and although it may be physically difficult at times, I do my best because I am needed.

I was able to change my life because I had the courage to do so and I am grateful to the people at STEPS for their help!