Workbridge Employment Consultant Jo Brand

Workbridge History
 

• Workbridge has had many name changes over the years
• It was originally started to support returning soldiers
• They expanded to include civilian’s
• It now runs as a board and operational committee
• The stakeholders include Deaf Aotearoa, Blind Citizens NZ, Disabled Persons Assembly

 
 
 
Jo Brand’s history
 

• Worked for large corporate company for 17 years
• Included employment team of 300
• Would look for employees with learning difficulties as they had the following skills to make good employees;
  • Strategies and coping mechanisms developed
    
  • Good problem solvers
• Would spend on coaching or adaptive software to support these workers which benefited the business profitability
• Jo brought the Starbucks Coffee Business licence to NZ

 
 
Workbridge
 
Our Vision
Every Person with a disability has the same value as any other person & will contribute positively in the workplace
 
 
Workbridge provides a Free service to Job Seekers and Employers.
Funded and held accountable by the Ministry of Social Development
Not a government organisation.
 
Eligibility
Job Seeker must meet these criteria

• not working at all or only up to 5 hours a week on average,
• identifies a barrier to employment or sustaining employment,
• 16- 65 years old
• not enrolled in secondary education,
• is not receiving service from another provider (e.g ACC) but WINZ is fine

 
Job Seekers

• Support provided to navigate their identified barrier
• This can include disability, health condition or injury – does not require a medical certificate and can be self- identified

 
 
Support for job seekers

• resources needed pre employment:
  • CV,
  • Cover Letters,
  • Interview skills,
  • Impression Management etc

• Profiling Job Seekers to potential employers
  • through our own exclusive vacancies and relationships with employers or
  • as cold calling

• Post Placement Support
  • We continue to support our clients once placed to ensure they have strategies in place to manage “bad hair days” ,
  • provide an ear for concerns or issues to overcome,
  •  provide solutions and support for client and employer if any workplace adaptions are required e.g Adaptive software (turning written word to voice) , adaptive equipment (specialised equipment) , modifications to workplace environment (ramps, support railing)

 
Employers:

• We have strong relationship management with multiple employers and organisations to provide a FREE service to meet their recruitment needs.
• We fill on average 3500 roles a year in NZ.
• We can often know of job leads before advertisement and of upcoming projects requiring increasing their work teams.
• We have many exclusive job listings which are only accessible to our clients.

 
 
 
How to connect with Workbridge
 
Visit us at anytime at 48 Kelvin Street, Invercargill
Call us on 0508858858,
email [email protected] or
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/workbridgesouthland/
 
Come to a group “Welcome session” on Monday afternoons, or
Make an appointment to meet one on one