Mick White, CEO Western District Employment Access (WDEA)
Rotarian Tony Austin introduced Mick White, CEO of WDEA. Mick was born in Warrnambool and attended the Allansford Primary School and CBC Secondary School. He is married with 4 adult children. He served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1967 until 1988 as a submariner. Mick started at WDEA in 1989 until 1990 when he commenced work at Warrnambool Textiles until 1993. In 1993 Mick returned to WDEA as the CEO.
WDEA has been providing individualised employment services in western Victoria from 1989. Since then WDEA has grown to become one of the largest community and employment service providers in the region, employing over 250 people across 15 different sites in a range of community based services and programs. These programs include:
- Disability Employment Services - for employment of people with disability in open employment. Disability Employment Services is one of WDEA's core services. It helps people to integrate into the mainstream workforce in a variety of jobs that meet the needs of individual clients. The service includes assistance with job searching, training and ongoing one-on-one support for people who have an injury, ill health or a disability that is permanent or likely to be permanent.
- Job Services Australia: job finding for unemployed people
- Employer Recruitment Services: finding staff for employers
- Australian Disability Enterprises
- Day Care Services
- Socialisers: social activities for people with disabilities
- Artlink Gallery and Studio
- Careerlink
- Charitable Trust
As a not-for-profit community based organisation, WDEA's aim has always been to provide a quality service to individuals in our community who will benefit the most from some extra assistance. Between 520 and 550 trainees with disabilities are placed and supported in work each year, as are around 1,900 regular job seekers.
By successfully helping their clients the organisation has been able to direct many of the financial benefits received back into the community through financial assistance programs and additional services. WDEA works with:
- Local employers and businesses
- Industry groups
- Community support services
- Allied health professionals
- Schools and education institutions
- The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)
- The Department of Human Services (DHS)
- The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)
- Government and council
A high level of success in the delivery of individualised employment services has allowed WDEA to become one of the leading employment providers in Victoria.
Staff operate in Ararat, Bendigo, Ballarat, Castlemaine, Colac, Hamilton, Horsham, Portland, Stawell and head office is in Warrnambool.
In June 2012 WDEA won a five year extension of its federal government contract to provide employment services to people with a disability in the south-west.
In June 2013 WDEA opened the doors to its new $3.5 million offices at 52 Fairy Street, Warrnambool.
In recent years WDEA has reported significant growth despite subdued economic activity, including acquisition of the former Vantage Incorporated's businesses which included loss-makers, but still managed to achieve a profit of more than $1 million.
Disability support in the south-west has traditionally been provided by a number of relatively small local agencies, including WDEA, Mpower, Southern Way, Vantage and Aspire. Taking over Vantage Inc, a regional provider of sheltered and assisted employment, has increased WDEA's workforce by 120 people and put the organisation at the forefront of disability service delivery across south-west Victoria.
The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is likely to result in fewer and larger disability service providers with good economy of scale advantages over smaller local agencies.
The WDEA Charitable Trust was formed in 2004 with an objective to assist people with disabilities, or those highly disadvantaged by other factors. Since its inception the WDEA Charitable Trust has disbursed approximately $230,000 to a diverse range of community projects across the Western District of Victoria.
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