"Empowering a Differently Abled Workforce: A Path to Inclusivity"

Recently we had the opportunity to talk with Nicky Forsyth who is a parent of a Disabled Partner of ConneXu. Nicky and her husband Bruce own Industrial Site Services, and they employ three disabled men. We wanted to find out about the work the men do, their successes and challenges and to hear more about the opportunity Nicky had to be part of a panel talking at the Thriving People, Thriving Industry Summit 2023 – hosted by Waihanga Ara Rau.

Tell us a little bit about Jack and how he, Bevan and Darcy came to work at Industrial Site Services.

“Our son Jack is a partner with conneXu, and it was important to him and to us, that he has every opportunity to thrive, this includes having meaningful employment.”

“Jack was able to work with Selwyn Cook at Disability Employment to identify the type of work that he would like to do, and to put together a CV and with Selwyn’s assistance he started to look for where he could provide value to a business or organisation”.

“At the same time, in our business, we realised that we had a gap in our workforce around the maintenance and upkeep of scaffolding that was returning from construction sites”.

“In the construction sector, as it is for many businesses post the pandemic, it is difficult to attract good employees. We knew that in order to do so, we would have to look at becoming more diverse and inclusive. We have always recognised that each individual brings unique strengths and talents to the table, and we know from lived experience that a disabled person's abilities are just as valuable as anyone else's”.

“The cleaning, maintenance and upkeep of our equipment is a critical and important part of our business, so we floated an idea to our operations teams to see if they would be warm to employing three disabled persons on a part-time, no-fixed-hours contract. After assessing the risk, as well as the appetite of our employees we worked with ConneXu’s Health and Safety Team, and the Business Advisor, to ensure the best outcomes for Jack, Bevan and Darcy.

“It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. We have had to work hard to build a supportive ecosystem within our workplace, which has included offering training and awareness programs to educate all our staff about the unique challenges and strengths of differently abled colleagues. We have been so proud that our whole team encourages a culture of respect and equality. It is so amazing to go into the staff room and see them all interacting, laughing, and having a great time”.

So, how did the opportunity arise to speak at the summit?

“I was given the opportunity to speak at the Thriving People, Thriving Industry Summit in Wellington, as part of a panel to discuss the positive impact of diversity in construction. This opportunity took me right outside my comfort zone, but it was important to me to convey that a talented workforce isn't defined by physical abilities. Disabled employees are just as capable of excelling in their roles as their non-disabled counterparts. In fact, when provided with the right support, we know that they can outperform expectations”.

Nicky shared how the support mechanism of the company in providing simple accommodations, such as accessible workspaces, adaptive technologies, and flexible work hours, have been pivotal in empowering their disabled employees meaning that they have the tools they need to thrive, this coupled with an open and supportive team within ConneXu, it’s been a winning combination all round.

“After the panel discussion and even after the conference I have had many people approach me to say how much my korero impacted them. It is wonderful to see that my small contribution may mean that other businesses will look outside the box when it comes to diversity and inclusion and that they are able to see the potential of differently-abled employees in the modern workforce”.

“For both Bruce and I, by creating an inclusive environment, we are not only doing the right thing but also reaping the benefits of diverse perspectives and talents. It's clear to us, that integrating disabled persons into the workforce is a win-win situation for all our staff, as well as our business”.