An opening ceremony for the new WISE social enterprise business Incito Maintenance (Darwin) was held on Thursday October 20 at the WISE Darwin office. The business is the second of its kind, following in the footsteps of the Melbourne-based Incito Maintenance that opened in July 2010.

Senator Trish Crossin made some opening remarks on the value of social enterprise and the opportunities that the Innovation Fund is creating for people with barriers to employment, before cutting the ribbon using a pair of shears that will be used for the grounds maintenance side of the business, and cutting the cake with a trowel used for the building maintenance side of the business!

Representatives from a diverse mix of Darwin’s business and government life attended the ceremony, including Minister Rob Knight from the NT government, representatives from Anglicare and Melaleuca refugee centre, and representatives from businesses including Darwin Golf Club and Telstra.

The following day Incito Manager Troy Oakes was already quoting two domestic jobs requested by contacts from the launch. New discussions have also been started with Telstra and NT government Territory Housing.

About Incito Maintenance
Incito Maintenance will operate from WISE Employment's central Darwin office, providing a variety of maintenance services including general carpentry and handyman work, gardening, cleaning and grounds maintenance, while also providing people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds with skills and jobs in the local construction industry.

The business will also be calling on the support of local people to act as mentors to their staff. These mentors will help with both personal and professional development. This specialised environment will enable Incito Maintenance staff to develop their skills, and as Incito grows it will provide ample opportunities for career advancement both within and outside the business.

Background
A WISE Employment funded program called DiversityWISE has been operating in Darwin for the last 12 months. DiversityWISE supports people from CALD backgrounds by helping them join the workforce. Incito Maintenance will provide long term work for some DiversityWISE participants, as well as those from other relevant programs. WISE Employment will continue to support DiversityWISE, with Incito Maintenance as an added employment option for job seekers. With the start-up support of a $300,000 Australian Government ‘Innovation Fund’ grant, and the backing of WISE Employment, Incito Maintenance aims to become completely self-sufficient within 18 months by winning and retaining its own commercial contracts.

Construction is currently the fourth largest employment sector, at 10 per cent of the Darwin workforce (ABS 2011). Many of these jobs are already in demand, and this is only set to increase as anticipated new projects, such as the Inpex project and Darwin Marine Supply Base, are rolled out. Incito Maintenance will fill the void that results from experienced workers moving into these major projects.

For contact information, head to the Incito Maintenance website.