WISE Employment - Our History

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Our Beginings
WISE began operation as an employment agency for people with an intellectual disability in 1992. At this time, the concept of people with an intellectual disability as productive members of the competitive workforce was new to many. The early 1990s saw the realisation that people with a disability generally were disadvantaged in competing for employment and would greatly benefit from individually tailored job seeking and on-the-job support. We began to work with all people with a disability, encompassing physical, psychiatric, and sensory.

Our History
1997 We successfully tendered to provide employment services for the Commonwealth Government as part of the privatisation of the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES) becoming part of the new Job Network. 1999 We retendered an expanded Job Network service and gained a much larger contract, growing from three to ten offices. 1999 Equity Labour Services ELS was established in Ulverstone, Tasmania, to provide employment to job seekers with a disability who were not ready for the open employment market. ELS provides services in landscape area maintenance, rest area maintenance, litter collection, cleaning services, labour hire, weed control and vegetation management. 2000 WISE Employment began providing accredited training as a Registered Training Organisation. 2001 The Community Investment Division was established with the decision to reinvest $1,000,000 into the community.		2001 Clean Force Property Services Clean Force was established in Northcote, Victoria, to provide employment to job seekers with a disability who were not ready for the open employment market. Clean Force provides a comprehensive professional cleaning service and facilities management. 2002 Make it Work, a specialist employment program for people on bail was established. 2005 WISE Employment merged with Work Force Placement Services, Clean Force Property Services, JobMatch, Equity Intowork and Equity Labour Services to become the largest Disability Employment Services Provider in Australia. 2006 WISE Employment merged with Active Employment, a Disability Employment Service with offices in greater western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. 2009 We were successful in our tender for business as part of the new Job Services Australia contract, retaining our business in Victoria, extending our business in New South Wales and opening a new site in Darwin, Northern Territory. 2010 We were successful in our tender for business as part of the Australian Government’s new Disability Employment Services initiative, retaining our existing business and gaining additional business in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania.