Conference Day One

11 August 2020

09:20 Opening remarks from the Chair

Jacinta Evans

Executive Director Inclusion and Engagement – Community Services Directorate

ACT Government

09:30 Opening Address: Examining structural issues in inclusion programs and the importance of taking a holistic, not group-specific, approach to implementation and design

Examining the structural and systemic questions surrounding discrimination and inequality in Australian workplaces
Understanding how the lived experiences of Australian workers lend a rich tapestry to the workplace
Overcoming discriminatory practices in inclusion programs by examining the outcomes you have achieved and determining where your programs may be dropping the ball

Amanda Crammon

Associate Director – Inclusion & Diversity

Department of Premier and Cabinet (NSW)

10:00 Dismantling barriers to employment to increase full-time employment rates for Australians with a disability

Exposing long-term ongoing employment discrimination faced by people with disabilities
Turning the spotlight onto falsely held negative assumptions and attitudes held by employers and the community at large, relating to productivity and capability of people with disabilities
Examining the impact State, Federal and Territory governments would have on increasing access to employment for disabled Australians if they were to leverage their buying power to encourage labour force participation

Katherine Jeffries

A/g Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Cultural Change Inclusion

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

10:30 Case Study: Panel Discussion: Training your managers to work with staff who face a range of barriers

How to best design employee induction programs to cater to employees
What organisations and departments need to analyse to create jobs that provide opportunity and skill development
Understanding the need to adjust as you go, ensuring all employees can fully embrace the opportunities available to them in the workplace

Moderator:

Amanda Lawrie-Jones

Disability Inclusion Consultant

Accessible Action Consulting

Panellists:

Sheldon Boland

Deputy Principal

Baringa State Primary School

and Co-Chair

Queensland Department of Education ABLE Workforce Inclusion Steering Committee

Jacki Done

Manager – People and Culture

City of Charles Sturt

Zemeel Saba

Director – Culture, Leadership and Capability

LaTrobe University

11:10 Take a break and connect with attendees in the chat room!

11:30 Challenging the age barrier: reducing obstacles for mature age workers to find and keep full-time employment

Examining why a quarter of Australia’s population makes up only 16% of our workforce
Okay Boomer: overcoming the negative stereotypes and assumptions older Australians face which contribute to discriminatory recruitment and employment practices
Building inclusive and respectful workplaces through the provision of support, training and education opportunities for aged workers

Peter Thorning
Director, Regulatory Strategy and Board/ISSC Services
Office of Industrial Relations (Qld)

12:00 Panel Discussion: Inclusivity v tokenism – how do we ensure our workplaces walk the walk

Inclusion programs are an essential tool in today's employment landscape. Still, the risk of inadvertently tokenising and exploiting people to demonstrate your commitment to an inclusive organisation is a real one. This panel discussion examines the best ways to overcome these risks and to ensure inclusion programs and strategies work for a variety of groups, not just one.

How can we determine if our current workplace culture demonstrates a genuine understanding of inclusiveness or just a lip service acknowledgement to it?
Moving beyond gender: how do we ensure inclusion programs are not focused solely on gender diversity and leadership issues?
How to develop and engage in meaningful conversations with your employees about creating an all-inclusive workplace culture

Moderator:

Superintendent David Tucker