From 2022 to 2026, the All Abilities JobMatch was an internship program that matched jobseekers with disability to paid internship opportunities in the community services sector.

All Abilities JobMatch supported community service employers to build their confidence and capability in recruiting, retaining, and supporting employees with disability. Working with Inclusion Consultants with lived experience of disability and in partnership with AKG, we provided employers with practical tools and knowledge to create inclusive, safe and supportive workplaces that benefit everyone.

All Abilities JobMatch employer had access to:

• 12 months of free lived experience coaching on workplace inclusion from a QDN Inclusion Consultant.

• Funding to support the wages and training of an intern with disability.

• Community of Practice that brought together industry experts and lived experience experts to discuss workplace inclusion.

• Support from IEA provider on recruitment, onboarding, accessing government supports, and implementing workplace adjustments.

• Employer Access and Inclusion Health Check to help identify strengths and opportunities for growth in workplace inclusion.

Each employer was matched with an intern with disability who received:

• Paid 12-week internship.

• Support from IEA provider on the job application process, workplace adjustments, and starting a new job.

• Training and skills development under the mentorship of host employers.

All Abilities JobMatch was designed by people with disability with guidance from workforce experts, our project steering committee and QDN Inclusion Consultants, reflecting real workforce and workplace experiences.

All Abilities JobMatch project is delivered by QDN in partnership with AKG and received funding from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

• Seven jobseekers with disability completed a paid 12-week internship

• Four interns secured ongoing employment with their host employer

• One intern has become a Youth Peer Mentor for QDN’s Lead the Way program

• Six people with disability engaged as QDN Inclusion Consultants. Two of these consultants were new to the role and were trained and mentored by experienced QDN Inclusion Consultants.

• Seven employers received regular workplace inclusion consulting from QDN Inclusion Consultants across 12-months

• Two new people with disability were trained and mentored in QDN Inclusion Consultant role

Systemic Change in Employment

Inclusive workplace practices in action

Most interns described their workplaces as welcoming and inclusive. Interns attributed this positive experience to initiatives such as team-building activities, flexible work arrangements, and meaningful inclusion in day-to-day team operations, all of which were supported and informed by the project.

Increased confidence to hire people with disability

Employers reported increased comfortability with hiring and retaining people with disability, with one employer reporting, “both myself as a supervisor and the broader team were able to get a lot more comfortable with an employee with disability, and the differences that can make in the workplace.

Shifting mindsets on workplace adjustments

Employers’ mindsets around the perceived complexity and high cost of workplace adjustments and accessibility altered with one employer reporting, “[the project] definitely did highlight some really simple things that we could tweak and change.”

All Abilities JobMatch Intern, Sophie* is a young person with disability who lives in Cairns.  AKG supported Sophie to apply for an All Abilities JobMatch internship in Community Programming at her local neighbourhood centre. After submitting an application, Sophie was invited to interview and was offered the role. Sophie’s experience as a young person with disability and mentor to her siblings and cousins meant she was the perfect fit for the role–the centre saw the opportunity for the intern to draw on her lived experience as a young person with disability to help create an inclusive program for teens aged 13 – 17.