On the Echuca Moama Bridge Project we formed a partnership with Vivid Disability Services, a regionally based not-for-profit Australian Disability Enterprise which empowers local people impacted by disability. They provide work crews to companies through their mentored and supported employment services.

Vivid’s Work Crews provided the project with ongoing site maintenance and office, window and vehicle cleaning services. The Vivid crew completed over 25,000 hours on the project, with up to 20 people involved in its site operations over 24 months.

The project team also collaborated with Bendigo Kangan Institute (BKI) TAFE to provide formal training qualifications for 10 of the Vivid supported employees at BKI's Echuca Campus. This educational pathway aligns with Vivid’s objectives of providing future employment pathways for their supported employees. 

The employees commenced their studies in September 2020 and graduated in January 2022. This was the first time the graduates had followed a vocational education pathway and achieved a formal, nationally recognised qualification. During their studies, they attended BKI’s Echuca campus one morning a week, while continuing to work in a supported environment at the project site. At BKI, they experienced both virtual face-to-face classroom learning and a real-time classroom environment aided by workbooks, with Vivid support workers in attendance.

Of the 10 Vivid graduates, three are now in mainstream permanent part-time employment, due to their increased personal confidence and work capacity.

Pictured above is Luke Peters. Read more about his journey here.