We’re excited to share the highlights from the Our Lady of Sion Careers Expo that took place on Thursday, 2nd November. Paula from our team had the privilege of attending this vibrant event.

The expo was a showcase of potential and opportunities. Students from Our Lady of Sion were buzzing with enthusiasm as they explored diverse career pathways.

Paula engaged in meaningful dialogues with students, discussing career aspirations and the steps to achieving them. The energy was infectious!

We extend our gratitude to Our Lady of Sion for organising such an impactful event and to the students who shared their dreams and ambitions with us. The future is bright, and we’re thrilled to have been a part of this journey of discovery.

We had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Bulleen Heights School Post School Options Expo, and it was a day to remember! Echo were right in the mix, engaging with students eager to explore their future careers.

Our stand was buzzing with activity as we conversed with young adults about their post-school ambitions. It was a day filled with promise and the shared goal of understanding the wealth of opportunities that lay ahead.

Highlights from the Expo included:

• Thoughtful Engagement: Echo representatives had the joy of connecting with students, providing guidance, and learning about the unique aspirations of each individual we met.
• Community Connections: The sense of community was tangible. Booths provided a plethora of resources and networking opportunities, creating a supportive environment for students and families alike.
• Empowerment in Action: Witnessing the students take active steps towards their future was truly inspiring. It underscored the impact of community support and resources in fostering confidence and independence.

The Echo team extends a big thank you to the organisers at Bulleen Heights School and all the attendees who brought such enthusiasm and engagement to the expo. Here’s to the bright futures ahead and to many more events that bring us together to support each other’s growth and success.

Echo is excited to announce a 3 year partnership extension with Basketball Victoria.

Echo and Basketball Victoria have been in partnership since 2011 and together have delivered a range of Victorian basketball programs for participants with disability.

The partnership will now include Echo becoming the naming rights partner of Basketball Victoria’s Specialist Schools competition, set to be called the Echo Cup. The Echo Cup is a round-robin competition specifically for secondary school basketball players with a physical or intellectual disability, giving schools a chance to compete against the best in the state and give their students elite sporting opportunities.

Another key initiative of our partnership will be the continuation of our Sportswork program. With a successful pilot run in 2019, the Sportswork program offers selected participants the opportunity to develop their leadership and basketball skills, building resilience and confidence to explore career pathways and employment.  We are in the process of finalising the Sportswork program in 2022 with information set to be released soon for interested students.

Basketball Victoria CEO Nick Honey said Echo’s involvement in Victorian basketball has been resoundingly successful and was pleased to continue the partnership between both organisations.

“We’re excited to extend our partnership with Echo, to deliver inclusive basketball programs to Victorians of all abilities,” Honey said. “Echo has been a fantastic partner for the last 10 years and it recognises the incredible role that sport can play in helping to improve the self-confidence of people with disability.
“All participants are provided the support they need to go after their ambitions and goals, which makes Echo a truly amazing organisation and an impeccable partner for Basketball Victoria.”

Echo CEO Michael Locke said this partnership renewal continues a long and fruitful relationship between the organisations and he looks forward to the continued evolution of the partnership.

“Echo are pleased to deepen our decade long commitment to Basketball Victoria and our local sporting community,” Locke said. “We are proud to partner with a dynamic organisation like Basketball Victoria that demonstrates a strong commitment to the development of inclusive communities.

“Through new and collaborative programs like Sportswork, we’re raising ambition in the next phase of our partnership – to build the capacity of people with disability to provide greater access to sporting and employment opportunities and cultivate stronger connections to community.”

For more information or to express your interest in the Sportswork Program, please click here.

Media release: https://basketballvictoria.com.au/bv-echo-australia-partnership/

echo are excited to announce that we will be exhibiting at the South East Careers Expo.

Join us on Tuesday 27th April at the Cranbourne Race Course to discover career pathways and employment opportunities.

When: Tuesday 27th April 2021

For more information on this event visit: https://sellen.org.au/careers-day-try-a-trade/

echo are calling on local employers to get involved in our 4^th annual South East Job Expo.

Held on the 10^th March at the Bunjil Place in Narre Warren this event offers the opportunity for employers to connect with hundreds of local job seekers and showcase their business within the community.

North East Jobs Expo

When: Tuesday 10 March 2020

Time: 10.30am – 12.30pm

Where: Bunjil Place, Narre Warren

If you are interested in exhibiting at our expo, please contact Shari on 0456 787 033 or email sharid@echoaustralia.com

echo are calling on local employers to get involved in our 4^th annual North East Job Expo.

Held on the 4^th March at the Sage Hotel in Ringwood, this event offers the opportunity for employers to connect with hundreds of local job seekers and showcase their business within the community.

North East Jobs Expo

When: Wednesday 4 March 2020

Time: 10.30am – 12.30pm

Where: The Sage Hotel, Ringwood

If you are interested in exhibiting at our expo, please contact Shari on 0456 787 033 or email sharid@echoaustralia.com

There are 2.2 million Australians living with disability who are of working age, but Australians with disability are under-represented in the workforce. In fact, the employment rate for people with disability is almost half compared to those without disability.

During the week of 25 – 29 November 2019, echo participated in AccessAbility Day – a new Australian Government initiative developed to connect jobseekers with disability and employers.

AccessAbility Day is a voluntary, obligation free day for employers to have an opportunity to see the potential jobseekers with disability can bring to the workplace and learn about available Government support.

On Tuesday 26^th November 2019, echo partnered with Club Officer to provide four job seekers with the opportunity to gain work experience in the Club Bistro, but they left such an impression, two of them are set to walk away with a job.

Pakenham Racing Club People and Culture Manager Tanya Ritson said in an article with the Pakenham-Berwick Gazette it was a “great day and a perfect opportunity” to offer work experience to the four enthusiastic job seekers.

“As a community club and employer, where we can help people in our community, we do and it’s really nice that we’re able to support them,” Ms Ritson.

Ms Ritson told the Pakenham-Berwick Gazette that she was so impressed with the jobseekers, she’s committed to offering two of the participants ongoing casual employment.

“It’s important that employers are looking at things a bit more broadly to see what they can do to help people.

“We can always teach people how to do the job, whether it be serving people or carrying plates, but we can’t teach people the right work ethic, honesty and teamwork.”

echo are proud to partner with organisation’s like Club Officer who are willing to jump on board great initiatives like AccessAbility Day to offer employment opportunities to well-deserved job seekers.

If you would like to participate in AccessAbility Day next year or are interested in providing employment opportunities for job seekers with disability, contact us today.

Read the full article by Pakenham-Berwick Gazette here: https://pakenham.starcommunity.com.au/news/2019-12-02/jobs-for-all-abilities/

echo are excited to announce that SPORTSWORK will be exhibiting at this year’s Melbourne Seniors and Disability Expo. 

Melbourne Seniors and People with Disability are embracing My Future, My Choice as a way to control how they want to live their lives now and plan for the future. The Seniors and Disability Expo will link thousands of seniors and people with disability with hundreds of product and service providers as well as leisure, lifestyle and technology options for all.

The Expo will feature:

• FREE ENTRY for all attendees & a free show bag
• 200+ exhibitors tailoring products and services for both seniors and people living with disability services.
• NDIS presentations and Q&A sessions from a range of local speakers and organisations
• Presentations and Q&A Sessions from seniors organisations including topics such as accessing MyAgedCare
• All ages entertainment running on both days
• Interactive workshops running on both days
• Auslan, Live Captioning, Wheelchairs, Accessible toilet facilities including a Marveloo
• Bindimapped venue – Go to the Apple store to download the app now!
• In house Cafe and rest areas

For more event information, visit: https://www.melbournedisabilityexpo.com.au/

Come and say hello to us at the expo!

When: Friday 22nd and Saturday 23 November 2019

Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm

Where: Melbourne Exhibition Centre

echo and SPORTSWORK are set to celebrate International Day of People with Disability at the Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Festival.

The Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Festival offers Victorians with, and without, disability the opportunity to explore and experience accessible and inclusive sport and recreation through hands-on activities and information sharing.

Featuring over 30 exhibitors and three activity zones, you can come and try different inclusive sport and recreational activities and learn about programs you can get involved with in your community.

Witness the Law Enforcement Torch Run, with up to 200 police and Special Olympics Athletes running from the Victoria Police Centre with the Flame of Hope to light the cauldron at the festival.

Watch teams battle it out in the AFL Wheelchair Corporate Challenge or watch/listen to the Vision Australia Radio live broadcast.

Victorian specialist schools are invited to visit the festival and take part in the Get Active Challenge. Find out more and register: https://dsr.org.au/get-active/

Come and celebrate International Day of People with Disability with us by getting active!

When: Tuesday 3 December 2019

Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm

Where: Crown Riverwalk, Southbank (between Queensbridge Street and Rockpool Bar & Grill)

International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is an initiative focused on increasing public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate their achievements and contributions.

In celebration of IDPwD, ECHO teamed up with Basketball Victoria to host Sportswork, a friendly, community basketball challenge between ECHO staff, employers and sports people with a disability to promote inclusiveness on and off the court. Participants were given an introduction to wheelchair basketball by the team at Basketball Victoria and taken through basic skills training prior to multiple friendly games. To finish, players battled it off in a fun, free throw shootout competition.

Michael Locke, ECHO CEO said “This year’s theme of empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality is synonymous with our mission at ECHO, and last Friday’s wheelchair basketball challenge was a fantastic opportunity to start the conversation around the importance of an inclusive community. Everyone was a winner on the day, shooting hoops for a cause greater than scoring points; to break down barriers and help make positive change to the lives of 4.3 million Australians.”Thousands of community organisations have held International Day of People of Disability registered events across Australia since its inception in 1992. “We are pleased to represent ECHO as part of this important initiative and we are looking forward to doing our bit to make a positive impact on the lives of people with disability.”

This was the first of many ECHO community basketball challenges – for more information on how you can be involved and to stay up to date with the latest ECHO events, follow us on Facebook.