Harper Sercombe
Kangan Institute’s sustainable disability support initiative has received national recognition at the accessibility in action awards.
Broadmeadows’ Kangan is one of the four institutes that hosts this initiative.
The program provides students who are studying community services and disability courses with a work placement opportunity within Kangan Institute’s student support unit.
Those selected as a part of the program are paired with learners requiring disability support as they come through TAFE.
Since its inception, the initiative has created five placement opportunities supporting 15 students with disabilities, resulting in more than 640 support and placement hours.
Community services student Sophia Uribe, who was one of the students selected in the initiative, said it taught her a lot about being a support worker.
“I worked with very different people with very different circumstances, so my first thought was to think about their specific needs, goals and wants, as this is what person-based practice in community services is about,” she said.
“It was rewarding to see students opening up to me and to build a rapport with them, in some cases advocating for them and supporting them with their goals. I was also really glad to see one of the students go on to the next step of their academic life.
“Placement allowed me to put my knowledge into practice and it also gave me the opportunity of employment through Kangan.”
Kangan Institute’s student support team leader Priyanka Choudhury said it was the impact of COVID which sparked the initiative.
“The sudden shift to remote learning and social distancing measures presented additional challenges and barriers to accessing support services, and many students with mental health conditions reported feeling isolated or anxious and needing additional support to manage their symptoms,” Ms Choudhury said.
” Pandemic restrictions also impacted students who were completing their mandatory professional placements. Several had lost access to scheduled placement opportunities, resulting in a backlog.”
Kangan Institute was also a finalist for the 2021 and 2022 Victorian training awards inclusive training provider of the year.
