Win for SA disability employment services provider
Adelaide-based not for profit organisation Barkuma will be able to employ up to another 150 people with disability after winning a significant share of the recently-announced Inclusive Employment Australia contract, which comes into effect in November.
Barkuma currently has 500 clients, which it supports to find employment either in one of its two factories at Holden Hill and Elizabeth under a “supported employment” model, or in “open employment” in retail, fast food, cleaning, aged care, childcare and more.
Barkuma chief executive officer Simon Rowberry said the organisation had a focus on providing ongoing support for clients with disability, not just when they start a new job, but throughout their career and employment journey.
“We want our clients and employer partners to feel supported at all stages of the employment journey, so our staff are there with them when they start work and complete their onboarding training, we’re there if they have a change in their manager or move to a new location, we can help with new ongoing training requirements and we’re there if they have challenges,” Rowberry said.
Most of Barkuma’s clients are people with intellectual disability and/or autism.
Rowberry said there was sometimes a lack of understanding about what disability employment can look like – and these limitations can come from within the disability community as well as mainstream environments.
“There are still many misconceptions about disability employment, and assumptions that traditional supported employment is the only option,” he said.
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“And yes, for some people with disability, supported employment can either be a good first job and introduction to work or, depending on some people’s capacity and ability, this might be a longer-term option.
“Barkuma has two locations where we offer supported employment, so we’re not opposed to this environment as an employment option for people.
“However, given the right support, there are loads of really fulfilling opportunities for people with disability in open employment. And this is so important because when we have true inclusion of people with disability, it means that our entire community benefits.”
Barkuma currently supports more than 350 participants in open employment in businesses including KFC, IKEA, Bunnings, Pembroke School, supermarkets including Coles, Drakes, Foodland and Woolworths, SA Mushrooms, the Intercontinental Adelaide, On The Run, the Adelaide Crows and Adelaide City Council, Rowberry said.
“Whether disabled or not, we know that employees who enjoy their work, get on with their workmates and feel successful in their achievements tend to stay with their employer,’’ Rowberry said.
“This benefits the employer, who doesn’t have the ongoing expense of recruitment and training of new staff. It benefits the staff who have regular work and regular income. And it benefits the wider Australian community of taxpayers.”
“However, for people who might not knowingly come into contact with people with disability – recognising that many disabilities are not immediately visible – seeing a person with disability in work reshapes their own understanding and biases about what people with disability are capable of doing.
“We all thrive when we are connected to our communities, have fulfilling work which we enjoy and a purpose.
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“At Barkuma, we are proud of the role we play in supporting people with disability to find their passion at work and live a well-rounded life.”
What does disability employment look like in Australia in 2025?
Disability Employment Services (DES) providers work like a specialised recruitment firm, matching people with disabilities and their skill sets, passions and drive with the right employer.
Barkuma works mainly with people who are intellectually disabled and/or on the autism spectrum. Some of its clients also have a physical disability. The majority of Barkuma’s clients work in “open employment” with a mainstream employer in sectors such as retail, fast food, food manufacturing, aged care, childcare, gardening, automotive care and horticulture.
From November 1, 2025, DES will become Inclusive Employment Australia.
Barkuma successfully tendered to continue being a speciality cohort provider under the new program in the Eastern, Northern and Western Employment Service Areas (ESAs) in Adelaide.
Once a Barkuma client is matched with an employer, Barkuma helps with onboarding, training, routines, getting to and from work, how to present at work and expectations.
Employees with disability in open employment will be paid under the relevant award for the industry in which they work. In some circumstances an individual’s wages may be paid under the Supported Wage system where employees may also be eligible for other supports, including the Disability Support Pension, rent assistance and free or reduced medical care and prescriptions.
“Supported employment” usually takes place in a hub or factory – Barkuma has two factories at Holden Hill and Elizabeth, as part of an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE).
Barkuma clients who work in supported employment work with oversight and support from more experienced peers with disability, as well as staff without disability. People with disability are assessed independently and paid under the Supported Employment Services Award based on their capacity.
After settling in at work, an independent assessor from the National Panel of Assessors will observe the employee in their workplace sometime between week 13 to week 26 to assess their skills and productivity. Following a meeting with the employee, their employer and Barkuma, the assessor will assign a grade to the worker. This determines their supported wage, paid by the employer and subsidised by the Federal Government.
Reassessments take place again 12 months later, and then every three years, though more frequent reassessments can take place if the employee’s role changes, they have increased responsibilities or they experience significant negative performance anxiety during the first or subsequent assessments.
Barkuma’s clients in supported employment assemble wheelbarrows sold in hardware stores like Bunnings, make the netting and casing products for meat and poultry products, work in secure, confidential document destruction, quality control and gardening services. Supported employment is tailored to clients’ physical, intellectual and psychosocial needs with more support, breaks as required and a supportive work environment which is very different to open employment.
Supported employment can also be a stepping stone to the job market or a meaningful, ongoing career for the right employees. Barkuma recognises there’s no “one size fits all” job for anyone, including people with disability.
Barkuma was established in 1967 as the “Central Districts Mentally Handicapped Children’s Association”, becoming Barkuma in 1980. Barkuma pioneered open employment services in 1986, and has been a registered NDIS provider since 2015. It offers supported and open employment pathways, transitional support and job readiness programs for Year 12 students, post-school support through the NDIS’s School Leaver Employment Services (SLES), as well as NDIS accommodation with Supported Independent Living. Barkuma is also a registered charity.
