What has been changing at Civic for employment?

Over the last 5 years, Civic has been increasing the range and diversity of roles available for supported employees. This has come through new partnerships with companies and growing Civic’s own social businesses. We are continuing to grow both the partnerships and Civic’s social businesses to provide more opportunities. Some of the newer career types that are growing include hospitality, kitchens and cookery, logistics and housekeeping.

What are Community Based Workplaces?

This is a term Civic gives to describe a workplace that is occurring outside of Civic. It means that Civic does not own, lease or in many ways control the physical environment of the workplace. Often these workplaces will be operated by another company and Civic employees will work closely with the other company to complete the job. Working in one of these environments is a great way to learn new skills and prepare for the potential for open employment. They also open up new opportunities to socialise and connect with people outside of the Civic community.

How is support provided in a Community Based Workplace?

Unlike traditional open employment, Civic will remain the employer while tasks are performed in a Community Based Workplace. This means that Civic retains responsibility for meeting the employment obligations. As the work is performed at a workplace outside of Civic’s direct control, we meet our responsibilities by choosing our partners carefully and working closely together. One way we do this is to provide Business to Business (B2B) coaching. With B2B coaching we support the Host company to learn more about providing an inclusive workplace for people with disability.

Can I access additional training and learning at Civic?

Supported Employees have access to training and learning opportunities throughout their journey. Some of these experiences will happen while working in the role and some will be provided by Civic staff as part of your employment journey. People may also be interested in participating in more formal learning, such as undertaking studies provided by an external training provider.

Can I have some variety in my work?

Civic encourages people to develop a plan that suits their individual needs and interests, this includes the possibility for a variety of work roles that may occur at different locations. Individuals may also choose to limit themselves to a specific preferred career path which will also be supported.

What is a Civic Crew?

Civic Crews are a name we give small teams who work together to complete their tasks. Some Civic Crews work at a Civic workplace, and others work in Community Based Workplaces. Examples of Community Based Workplaces include providing lawn care at a Cemetery or assisting with re-work and logistics at another company’s warehouse facility. Each Crew has a Crew Leader who is trained to support Crew Members to complete their roles and provide other support that may be needed while at work.

How will changes impact my career choices?

All supported employees will continue to be given choice and control in determining the types of careers and interests they have. Through planning and working together we can identify where you are at in your career, and where you would like to go. Some people won’t want to change much about their career and that will continue to be supported.

What does future employment look like at Civic?

Civic has been making changes for a number of years, including heavily investing in partnerships with Australian businesses, and our own social businesses. We see that the future has more diversity and opportunities for people with disability. Civic is making significant investments into preparing for the future, one of the ways we plan to do this is through a radical redesign of our head office location in the Sutherland Shire. The redesign will physically transform the building into a green oasis and provide opportunities for new types of employment that invite our community in. We will continue to grow new opportunities with existing partners and develop work that can be performed at a Civic Hub or a Community Based Workplace.

Civic has been rapidly expanding the Kitchen and Catering business with 5 retail locations and plans are underway to grow the catering and ready-made-meal production capacity.

If you are interested in starting a career with Civic, take a look at our current Supported Employment opportunities, or contact our Customer Experience Team.

January 2024