Serco wins prestigious Employer of the Decade award for disability partnership

Serco has been named Employer of the Decade by disability employment provider, Bizlink, becoming just the second organisation in 20 years to receive the honour.

Serco has partnered with Bizlink to provide career pathways for more than 30 people at Fiona Stanley Hospital and the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia over the last 10 years.

The award recognises not only Serco’s commitment to creating genuine career opportunities but the talent and drive of the people who have come through Bizlink.  

“Serco is extremely proud to receive this award, which recognises our dedication to creating meaningful career opportunities for people. Through our Accessibility Participation Plan, we are committed to identifying people’s strengths and interests, and building on this as we know that diverse teams offer greater insights and deliver better services to our customers,” A Serco spokesperson said.

“Many of the people who have joined us through Bizlink have stayed for more than 5 years and gained new skills, friendships and the independence that comes with secure employment. Bizlink have been a fantastic organisation to partner with, and we greatly value the support they provide to employees as well as managers and the wider team.”

The award is presented to the employer that has demonstrated outstanding support of inclusive employment for people with a disability over the period 2012 to 2022. The categories for consideration including the number and proportion of staff that are Bizlink workers, level and nature of interaction the workers have with staff and customers, the support demonstrated to facilitate training and integration and fair remuneration.

Daniel Chapman joined Serco at Fiona Stanley Hospital through Bizlink in January 2019, handling phone calls that come through the busy Helpdesk.

“This job has been one of the best things to ever happen to me. It was my first full time job in a professional environment, despite having applied for multiple roles before the opportunity with Serco came up,” Daniel said.

“I have physical disabilities in my hands, arms and neck and while I only need help doing minor things like carrying heavy loads or doing buttons up, I believe it has impacted on my ability to obtain a professional job.”

“What I love most about my role is being part of a great team that always tries to help staff and patients as best we can. I have had training and career development opportunities that have helped me to gain new skills and I can see a long term career with Serco.”