WISE and Clean Force work together to support Eric in finding meaningful employment
Eric (photo supplied)
A few months ago, Matt Lewis from the Melbourne WISE NDIS team contacted Lilith, the Employment Support Officer at Clean Force, regarding one of his participants who was keen to get into work and had a particular interest in cleaning.
It’s very rare to find a young person who is eager to clean, so they brought Eric to the Clean Force office to meet Lilith and have his job interview.
Eric’s NDIS Support Coordinator assisted with any funding-related issues. Lilith ensured correct supports were in place for Eric. Matt and Lilith collaborated to ensure the correct documentation was completed, and Gabe provided the practical training and support with travelling to a new place independently.
All of his ducks were in a row and finally, Eric was able to begin working his first job on the 29th of May! Eric’s role will be as the main cleaner in the upstairs office at the Clean Force Head Office in Heidelberg. Welcome to the team Eric!
Multi-award winning social enterprise, Clean Force Property Services, has announced the opening of a new depot in Heidelberg West, marked with a celebration from The Hon Bill Shorten MP, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Government Services.
Clean Force, part of WISE Employment, provides quality commercial cleaning services and job opportunities for people from all walks of life. This includes those receiving NDIS Funding, Disability Support Pensions, and people living with mental health challenges.
The new building was purchased in January this year, and involved Clean Force relocating from Preston after years of strong growth.
WISE Social Enterprises as a whole employs 450 staff and generates $22 million in revenue, with the Heidelberg West depot currently employing approximately 300 people and generating $10.5 million in revenue.
The goal is to employ another 50 people in the next 12 months at Heidelberg West, to service more than 200 different sites from this depot.
WISE Employment CEO, Matthew Lambelle, says this is an exciting milestone for both WISE and Clean Force.
“Clean Force has the power to change lives through employment by giving people a chance to overcome difficulties in finding a job. We are giving deserving people the opportunity to earn an income, be independent and experience the many benefits that come with sustainable employment, especially for mental health,” he says.
“The new depot is a major milestone and allows us room to continue supporting and giving hope to Australians wanting to join the workforce.”
Operating since 2001, Clean Force has supported people such as Amy who has been working with the company for a year and a half.
“Being a part of the community with Clean Force shows how they really help in getting jobs for people with disabilities of all different types. It’s allowed me to meet great people and have them not only as workmates but more like family. My mental health is great and having a job with Clean Force has really changed my life. I’ve never been this happy,” she says.
Clean Force generates a positive economic impact, with a 2020 report from Social Ventures Australia reporting that for every $1 invested in Clean Force, $6.50 is generated in social value.
The new Clean Force depot is now open at 10 Beatrice Ave, Heidelberg West, Victoria.
We’re pleased to share the impressive career journey of one of our valued team members, Miguel. Miguel joined our team in early 2019 as a Contract Supervisor and has gone from strength to strength over the past four years. With over 30 years of cleaning experience, Miguel brings an incredible skillset to our team.
Miguel (photo supplied)
At the start of his journey with us, Miguel was new to the cleaning industry, having previously worked in construction. This transition brought on fresh challenges, however, his dedication and natural leadership skills allowed him to excel in his role. In just two years, he continued to grow, eventually leading to him becoming a 2IC (Second-in-command). When our previous operations manager moved on to new projects, Miguel stepped into the role of Client Service Manager.
In his new position, Miguel continued to develop, although at times he felt outside his comfort zone. He dedicated many long hours of on-the-job learning to ensure that operations ran smoothly for the team. Miguel also worked closely with the team leaders, mentoring them and helping them to upskill through the implementation of new systems he created.
Miguel is the true definition of a team player, believing that if one person succeeds, we all succeed. We are so proud to have Miguel on the team, and we can’t wait to see what he achieves next!
