Western Australia’s social entrepreneur of the year believes she can help tackle one of the state’s main business issues – the skills crisis. Mark Beyer talks to Susan Robertson about disabled workers.
In 1984, Susan Roberston was a public service psychologist frustrated by the poor treatment of disabled people who wanted to work and live independently.
Instead of grizzling about the problem, she set up an agency to put into practice new ideas about helping and empowering disabled people.
Since then, Edge Employment Solutions has secured more than 3,400 jobs in Perth for more than 1,300 people with intellectual, physical, sensory and psychiatric disabilities.
Currently, 109 companies and 37 public sector agencies employ about 405 people through Edge.
Ms Roberston’s contribution was formally recognised last month when she was named the Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year for WA.
Ms Roberston isn’t just a do-gooder with a soft heart.
She is a savvy business operator, evidenced by the fact Edge achieves employment outcomes that are more than double the national average for disability employment agencies.
She believes one of the keys to Edge’s success has been the corporate culture that was instilled by its inaugural chairman, Allied Group co-founder Bill Mitchell.
“We were always encouraged to operate in, and present ourselves in a business-like way,” Ms Roberston told WA Business News.
She said that concept manifested itself in many practical ways, from its corporate livery and head office to its staff professionalism.
“Any organisation, whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit, has to run in a cost-efficient and cost-effective way and also in a way that delivers quality to customers.
“We want employers to see Edge as a mainstream employment agency.”
Ms Roberston believes the growing competition for government funding is forcing other not-for-profit agencies to change.
“Those organisations that are professional, deliver quality services and their brand is well known will attract customers and therefore attract public money,” she said.
“They need to be competitive and accountable. Their culture has to change as a result of that.
“We have been extremely fortunate that that culture was imposed on us in 1984 when no other agency operated in that manner.”
Ms Roberston insists that operating in a business-like manner does not mean that Edge has to compromise its values.
Indeed, she makes a solid business-case to justify Edge’s government-funded activities.
For a start, taxpayers are net winners because many disabled people are now working and living independently, rather than relying on welfare.
Another measure of success is repeat business – just more than half of all new jobs secured by Edge were with employers already using the agency.
Ms Roberston also contends that employers benefit from improved staff morale and tolerance.
“Staff think better of their employer when they take on a disabled person. That makes for a better workplace,” she said.
With skills shortages being one of the biggest issues facing WA businesses, Ms Robertson is looking forward to more employers taking on disabled staff.
She notes that Edge does not place people just in unskilled jobs.
More than 40 workers on its register are undertaking apprenticeships or traineeships, and Edge also assists graduates to secure professional employment.
“People are often surprised when I talk about professionals with disabilities having trouble getting employment, but the fact is many graduates are either unemployed or working in an area that is totally unrelated,” Ms Robertson said.
Edge’s current business had its genesis in the early 1980s, when the only employment option for disabled people was in sheltered workshops.
In 1983, Ms Robertson participated in a life-changing research project with Dr Greg Lewis, now the executive director of Edge Training Solutions.
The project took six disabled people and put them into a commercial work environment with vegetable grower Sumich Group.
The project found that structured on-the-job support quickly enabled disabled people to start working at the established industry standard.
Ironically, initial attempts to put this research into practice were stymied by government funding rules, under which assistance was only provided if disabled people were going into a sheltered workshop rather than open employment.
Changes to the funding rules enabled Edge – then known as Project Employment – to get under way in Perth.
Ms Robertson and Dr Lewis also helped establish demonstration projects around Australia, using their project employment model.
“We were the first to do it,” she said.
Hundreds of employment agencies now use the model, which has four key steps: understanding each person and what they want; discussing their aspirations against their skills and abilities; finding a job that matches their skills and aspirations; and providing intensive on-the-job support to ensure they work productively and integrate socially into the workplace.
“The philosophy is that we secure a job that matches the person,” Ms Robertson said.
“When you approach the task in that way, the person’s disability isn’t the focus, their skills and abilities and aspirations become the focus.”
BP is just one of the companies to have used Edge, following a decision three years ago to be more proactive in engaging disabled workers.
HR adviser Chris Hartnet described Edge as one of the most professional organisations she had dealt with.
“They are really good,” she said. “They try really hard to understand our needs and find someone who is a good fit for the job.”
Ms Hartnet said Edge continuously monitored the progress of workers placed with BP and provided additional support where needed. BP was now more mindful of considering disabled people when work opportunities arose, she said.
