Sascha has appeared on the blog a few times. Here she is with an update about the USEP program, a program for students with disability to help them gain graduate employment.
Here we are at the start of a new University year.
The USEP program has now been at Flinders for just over 18 months and has grown a lot over that time.
For those of you that don’t know about it………
University Specialist Employment Partnership (USEP) is set up to help final year or recently graduated students with a disability to gain graduate employment. Externally I work for Community Bridging Services Inc, as a case manager under the Disability Employment Service, but with Support from Flinders and the National Disability Coordination Officer (NDCO) I’m on campus every Tuesday within the Careers Team. We think of me as the Disability Specialist in Careers.
This year will look a bit different as the Careers and Employability Team move into a new space – level 2 in Central Library, Bedford Campus. You can no longer book directly for one on one appointments, but you will see a lot more online content, drop-in sessions, workshops and staff available within the commons area.
All the workshops will be recorded to make them more accessible and if you have a disability and need the one-on-one support, I can still do that, just contact me directly (usep@cbsinc.org.au or 0448 000 897 are best), or come to a USEP Careers over Coffee – book via Career Hub.
Why engage with USEP?
Well, last year we had some very interesting things happen. Employers are increasingly keen to diversify their workforce.
Not only did we have students getting graduate roles, but I had a couple of employers working with me to have roles and internships, specific to people with a disability. Unfortunately we didn’t always have the students in the study area to match with the employer.
I’m hoping to expand these opportunities this year, but we need to know you are out there, so we have more candidates for the employers to consider and know what industries and employers to target.
Make sure you attend the Job Link Summits, make yourselves known to the Careers and Horizons team and let them know you have a disability.
It’s a new year so start planning or review your career goals, think about volunteering to make some connections, get into Horizon Award if you haven’t, its never to early…………but that’s all to come in the next blog.
Interested in learning more about the USEP program?
Tuesday 10th March 2020
10am to 11am – The Studio (behind Grind and Press)
Booking Via Career Hub
Session will cover
- Intro to USEP
- Supports available in and out of University
- Employer trends and expectations
- What to do now to increase your chances of placement and a graduate job at the end of your study.
- Other information eg NDIS, Job Access, disclosure