I rise to bring to the attention of the House the outstanding work of a local supported employment training provider in my electorate of Calwell, Brite Industries of Belfast Street in Broadmeadows.
Brite is a community based business that provides education and training opportunities for people with disabilities. More recently they have taken it upon themselves to provide training for people who are now known as the vocationally disadvantaged. The Broadmeadows site covers some five acres, with a large factory, a modern warehouse, a plant nursery and training rooms. In February I met with the chief executive officer, Mr Michael Alcock; operations manager, Mr John Wood; and the horticulture manager, Mr Michael Shelley, and I was given a tour of this outstanding site in Broadmeadows. One hundred and fifty-four people are currently employed on site, with 129 of those employees with varying degrees of disability.
The federal government subsidy to support Brite workers does not cover all the expenses of running a modern manufacturing site. And Brite Industries is not a charity. It is also not just a sheltered workshop. It is a business with the same commercial considerations as the neighbouring manufacturing sites at Broadmeadows. Chief executive officer, Michael Alcock, describe as follows the primary aim of the organisation:
“Whilst Brite provides employment for people with disabilities, I also see it as a training and transitional experience leading to open employment.”
It has successfully supported the transition of more than 80 employees into open employment. The progressive and dedicated management and staff who work there have as their vision the following statement. Again I quote the organisation:
“Promoting dignity through achievement and community enterprise.”
They have a mission statement that states:
“To offer quality training, personal development and community support for people with a disability and people who are vocationally disadvantaged, and to operate commercial businesses for the purpose of generating funds to support and expand its services to the community.”
Formerly known as Northern Brite Industries, the company is a corporate division of the Victorian Vocational Rehabilitation Association. In its history Brite Industries has been at the forefront of national advances in education and training for people with disabilities. Recently it has expanded its role to take up the challenge of vocationally disadvantaged people. It provides training in a working factory environment, which has given many young people their first taste of working in a fully functional factory. On top of on-site training, Brite offers time release for supported workers to attend TAFE courses. Other employers could learn from the example set by this organisation in its commitment to training.
People with intellectual and physical impairment of a severe nature have a lower level of labour force participation than the population as a whole. Official ABS data from 1998 has this disparity in national labour force participation measured at 34.7 per cent to 63.3 per cent nationally and 32 per cent compared to 63.6 per cent for the Victorian population as a whole.
The operation divisions of Brite Industries are primarily plastics and packaging and a wholesale nursery business. The organisation's divisions are subcontract packaging, a wholesale retail nursery, garden property maintenance, vocational training and education and work/life skills education. Employees work together on a modern factory floor dealing with vacuum foaming and the latest thermoblasting equipment to wrap, pack and dispatch. At the end of June 2000, Brite had sales of up to $1.5 million. Brite Industries is an example to the rest of the community of a successful commercial model for integrating people with special needs and assisting them into open employment.
Brite has formed cooperative partnerships with private industry in the area, including Ford Australia. Ford, like many other manufacturing organisations in the city of Hume, work within a corporate citizenship program. This of course has benefited Brite with technical advice on plant layout, production and handling methods. This has helped improve productivity and occupational health and safety. I would like to think that the engagement between the two organisations also benefits Ford Australia. I was happy, following my visit to the factory site, to nominate this firm for the Prime Minister's employee of the year awards. As CEO, Mr Michael Alcock not only says but practises, `Australia will be judged one day on how we look after our disadvantaged, our aged and our disabled,' and of course how true that is.
