PARENTS of local youth have announced plans to establish a small business with the aim of improving employment opportunities for high school graduates with a disability.
An animal nursery staffed by seven to 10 young people with a disability is being planned by Cathy Darby, whose daughter was one of 14 graduates from Swan Hill Specialist School last year. She is now seeking funding to bring the proposal to life.
Ms Darby is seeking $2500 in start-up funds to pay for the mobile nursery and animals.
She also expects to employ two part-time staff to operate the nursery.
The school’s principal Graeme Scoberg said 2012 yielded the highest number of graduated students the school had ever farewelled in a single year.
Mr Scoberg believed the proposed nursery would offer meaningful work for the school’s graduates, as employment availability and variety was generally “very limited” in Swan Hill for young people with a disability.
While “a couple” of graduates had found part-time work, Mr Scoberg said many local jobs involved manual labour, which was not suitable for many.
A trial of the proposed initiative at Pioneer Settlement during the September and Christmas school holidays saw donated animals looked after by volunteers with a disability in an animal nursery for young visitors.
Ms Darby said the business plan involved a nursery at the Pioneer Settlement, a mobile nursery for events and breeding farm animals.
However, she said funding was needed for a manager and resources before further steps could be taken.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s edition of The
Guardian (23/01/13).
