Successful disability internship program extends eligibility

The Stepping Into internship program has expanded its eligibility criteria, connecting more people with a disability with leading Australian workplaces.

The Australian Network on Disability has extended the eligibility criteria of its internship program to enable more university students with a disability to gain practical experience and confidence in the workplace.

The Stepping Into internship program pairs university students with executives in leading Australian workplaces across a range of sectors that are seeking intern assistance, helping to provide an advantageous early career stepping stone in securing traditionally hard-to-access employment for people with a disability.

The program is currently open to students completing their second last or final year of university and will now be accessible by recent graduates who have completed their degree within the past three years.

Australian Network on Disability’s program manager Isabel Heiner said the decision to expand the eligibility criteria came in response to employer and student feedback and to better support Australia’s stretched workforce. 

“As more and more Australian employers are looking for pipelines of skilled and talented candidates with disability, this development will allow even more university degree-qualified individuals to connect with business,” explains Heiner. 

“This demonstrates a step of development and maturity for the Stepping Into Program.”

The Stepping Into Program has placed more than 2,000 university students in paid internship positions with over 170 of the nation’s leading employers since its inception in 2005.

Just over 90 per cent of interns have reported feeling better prepared for the workforce after taking part in the program. Almost all managers (98 per cent) who supervised interns said they would participate in the program again. Employers were also able to build their confidence hiring and managing people with disabilities.

Interns are matched with their employer after meeting the requirements of a set job description, and experience a range of tasks and project challenges during their placement. They are required to work a minimum of 152 hours, which can be taken full-time over a month or flexibly over a longer period.

Applications for the next round of Stepping Into internship placements are now open.