Alison Lewis

As Employment Services Manager, I work proactively with like-minded employers wanting the opportunity to open up employment for people with a disability.

My role involves working with businesses to find out what they do and if we can help them find the right employee for a job they may have, submitting vacancy forms according to their needs, usually following up to say, ‘Yes, we have the perfect fit!’, arranging the interview, liaising between our staff and the employer, and providing the support to get that person into work and keep them there.

I also respond to fresh enquiries, liaise with industry partners and connections including schools, Chamber of Commerce and health services to help NOVA build community and business relationships. The main challenge for me in this role is educating employers to think outside the square about their employee source. When someone asks me, ‘Well, what is the actual disability?’ I have to go back through our files to find out because I’m more focused on matching employer needs with a jobseeker’s skills and aptitudes.

The driving force behind NOVA is compassion and empathy for our jobseekers—understanding where they’re coming from. This enables us to make a difference in their lives by supporting them into work. NOVA also attracts staff who are committed to this so we’re a really cohesive team.

• Preferred Partnership Program

  Team Members: Alison Lewis

  In my ‘spare time’ I am working to develop a preferred partnership program between employers and Nova Employment along similar lines to a large distribution company in the United States called Walgreens. Walgreens have designed and implemented an ‘inclusive workforce’ where 40% of employees in their largest distribution centre have a disability.
  
  I would like to develop a similar program here and have as great a success as they have had at Walgreens. It will take some time to find the right employer, but I’m prepared to work hard to get this program off the ground. We’ve had initial meetings with a similar company in Australia. With them I’d like to organise a tour or Walgreens to learn how it can work. Watch this space!
  

• Employment Services Manager

  • January 2010 to November 2010
  Team Members: Alison Lewis

  I started at NOVA in Richmond as an Employment Consultant in 2007 then was promoted to Branch Manager at our Penrith office. At that time we were advertising extensively so getting lots of enquiries, which were referred to the different branches.
  
  As a whole organisation we hadn’t formalised who would collect the information or follow up on the leads, so I approached Martin (NOVA CEO) about being the person to liaise with current and potential employers. He asked me to come up with a proposal. By January 2010 I was in head office in the inaugural role of NOVA’s Marketing Coordinator, which has evolved into today’s senior role of Employment Services Manager. It’s a client relationship role that really plays to my strengths.
  
  Martin’s very approachable and extremely strategic. I’m sure Martin already had this concept in mind, so when I came along and put up my hand it was an easy decision for him to get the role up and running.
  

1. Sales Management
2. Marketing
3. Case Management
4. Staff Training
5. Training Skills
6. Office Administration
7. Administration
8. Account Management
9. Case Managment
10. Leadership
11. Training
12. Job Coaching
13. System Administration
14. Job Search
15. Management
16. Career Counseling
17. Leadership Development
18. Human Resources
19. Organizational Development
20. Performance Management
21. Social Services
22. Interviews
23. Coaching
24. Time Management
25. Strategic Planning
26. Employee Training
27. Resume Writing
28. Change Management
29. Volunteer Management
30. Community Outreach
31. Disabilities
32. Recruiting
33. Job Search Strategies
34. Workshop Facilitation
35. Policy
36. Career Development
37. Cover Letters
38. Career Assessment

View All (38) Skills View Fewer Skills

Websites:

• Company Website

Groups and Associations:

• 
  Campaign for Disability Employment
• 
  Disability Employment Services (Australia)
• 
  Diversity and Disability@Work
• 
  Employment First
• 
  Job Developer's Resource Network
• 
  Sales Enablement Community of Practice