Australian of the Year for 2022 Dylan Alcott has partnered with the Federal Government in a nationwide campaign to help more than 100,000 people living with a disability land jobs.

The national employment campaign will be rolled out to engage more than 100,000 people with disability and some of Australia’s biggest businesses will hire job seekers with disability across their organisations as part of an additional initiative to provide greater career opportunities.

As part of our plan for a stronger future, Families and Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said the Morrison Government would invest $6 million to fund a national advertising program for The Field, an online job platform that is being designed to directly connect people with disability with potential employers.

“People with disability are hardworking and dedicated employees and businesses should recognise their potential contribution to any workplace,” Ms. Ruston said.

“The Field will provide jobseekers with disability an opportunity to showcase their strengths and abilities online to registered hiring managers across corporate, small and medium enterprises, and government sectors who are ready to tap into an underutilised talent pool.

“It is designed by people with disability and includes innovative features that will help make the focus of the recruitment process about a person’s skills, experience and qualifications, rather than their disability.”

The Field will be delivered by Mr. Alcott’s organisation Get Skilled Access and is expected to launch later in the year through the national advertising program.

It will be targeted at mainstream employers and people with disability and run across various mediums such as TV, radio, print and social media, aiming to attract 100,000 job seekers and 45,000 businesses.

Mr. Alcott welcomed the funding investment and said that people with disability deserved the same job opportunities as anybody else.

“It’s time for employers to take the lead in creating inclusive workplaces and recruitment processes so people with disability have more choice and control over their careers,” he said.

Launching as an additional initiative, Coles, Bendigo Bank, Tennis Australia, Hydro Tasmania, RACQ and Ranstad Australia will hire people with disability, review their recruitment processes and examine barriers to equip employers with the tools they need to hire people with disability.