Building an inclusive business

Austin believes everyone deserves opportunity. His results prove why.

Austin is passionate about an inclusive society and finding new ways to engage with people who’ve been sidelined by traditional training and employment methods — especially in the Indigenous community.

The key, according to Austin, is in appreciating each person’s individual circumstances (and cultural history), and working with them to reach their goals.

This makes his approach to helping people unique and highly effective.

“I've worked with people that don't even want to get out of bed on a daily basis. And I think understanding what their circumstances are and then just having a conversation has been able to get them out of bed and engaged in some sort of activity.”

Austin is a National Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator at APM Employment Services.

Having an Indigenous perspective and working with Indigenous people, means Austin is aware of the challenges and cultural differences, but chooses to focus on creating opportunities.

“(I love) creating opportunities for people that probably wouldn't have happened otherwise, and then seeing them thrive in that opportunity, and go on to bigger and better things.

“If you can show up, engage and you have a purpose and you want work, then you should be getting the same opportunity as the next person.”

Austin’s approach to empowering the community and creating opportunities results in many success stories too.

“So many nice stories. I've had people that literally come back to me and say, ‘Austin, I've just bought my first house, my car. If it wasn't for you telling me to get up, get out there to that program’, and I’m like ‘No, that wasn't me. That was you. Like, you're the one that did the work. All I did was open the door.” 

Ellie Cole’s Couch

In this incredible series, Ellie sat down with team members from across APM to discuss how their own experience with disability motivates and inspires them to support people with disability.

See more of these conversations and how APM’s diverse and dedicated team members deliver on our shared purpose of enabling better lives, on the Our people page.