DisTinct Changes Lives

Providing real opportunities for people living with a disability, sums up the essence of the Gold Coast Health’s DisTinct Pathways Program. This 26-week program provides people living with a disability the opportunity to work at Gold Coast Health in an area of their choice.

DisTinct began running in 2019, having been birthed from offering ad hoc opportunities to a frequently overlooked pool of talent, into more of a structured program, ensuring participants in the program are fully supported. Getting a Government job can be competitive and DisTinct offers a foot in the door and opportunities for all.

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The program which has around a 70% retention rate (to date) and has also been nominated for an AHRI Award, aims to enable a progressive and disability confident culture that maximises the potential of diversity, diverse voices and ideas. Furthermore, it is ‘person-centred’, so participants have ownership of the program giving them a chance to grow in confidence and increase their sense of worth.

DisTinct also allows teams and their team leaders to embrace an all-inclusive workplace where there are equal employment opportunities, a change in mindset and a workforce that reflects the diverseness of the Gold Coast community.

Through their Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Gold Coast Health strive to be an employer of choice by providing equitable and fair opportunities for those living with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse people and disadvantaged groups.

Ebru Dogan, The Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Gold Coast Health says the program is the first of its kind and other hospitals across Queensland have expressed interest in emulating the program. We asked Ebru what she would say to another hospital considering a similar program to DisTinct, Ebru said;

“For a small investment, the impact is profound. The program impacts an individual person’s livelihood and helps to increase their confidence. It also makes the workplace more inclusive, which is so important”.

Congratulations to some of our TURSA participants who have been accepted into the 6th intake of The DisTinct Pathways Program which began this week.

Here is a little more on the program shared by Gold Coast Health.