Worklink Employment Support Group Inc. is a diverse organisation that provides employment assistance, personal support and educational programmes to people with a mental health condition and other disadvantaged groups in the Cairns community.
Worklink commenced operation in 1996 with a staff of two and moved to our existing premises in Lyons Street in 1998. In January 2007 we renovated and expanded these premises and celebrated our 11th anniversary in March 2007 and currently have 23 staff to service our Employment programs and Personal Support Program. These services are free to both clients and employers and funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
Our Vision:
Our vision is that people who experience mental health issues have the opportunity for employment, improved economic and social well being and acceptance in the community.
Our Mission:
To facilitate improved employment opportunities and related economic and social outcomes for people with mental health issues in the community.
Worklink has continuously sought out other programs and opportunities to improve and expand services to people with a psychiatric disability/mental illness in the Cairns region and in 2001 joined Ostara Australia, a consortium of specialised employment services to place Worklink in a stronger position when tendering for future funding.
Through Ostara, it was successful in securing a contract to deliver the Personal Support Program, in Cairns, which commenced in 2002. In 2003 we expanded the Personal Support Program to Innisfail.
In 2003, after many years of lobbying various government departments, Worklink finally secured funding to deliver our own training package "Managing Diversity- Mental Health in the Workplace".
Worklink is a Commonwealth funded employment service. Our core business is to assist people 15 - 65 years with a psychiatric disability/mental illness find and maintain employment.