Over the past 34 years, the Banksia Foundation has recognised organisations and individuals across 15 categories for their achievements in sustainability.  

We are proud to be recognised for our work in disability employment at this year's Banksia Awards in the Diversity and Inclusion category as the overall winner of the award.  

Project Director on our NSW Whole of Government Cleaning Contract Matt Cook says the work his team kicked off a few years ago has really come to fruition as other project and contract teams across the business have embraced the program.  

"In Australia, people with a disability are estimated to make up 18% of our population, but only 53% of them are participating in the labour force," Matt says.

To build and maintain the diversity we wanted to see in our business, we recognised there was a largely untapped pool of talented, capable, and committed people and through a focus on disability employment we could also reduce inequalities.

Contracts across Ventia's business have now created opportunities for people with disability to contribute to our focus on redefining service excellence for our clients.

^{Project Director Matt Cook says the work his team started a few years back has come to fruition as other contract teams across the business have embraced the program.}

Disability and Social Inclusion Manager drives cultural change

"We have over 150 employees with disability in roles including help desk, administration, data analysis and soft services, with one contract alone seeing a huge increase in disability employment in just over 12 months," Matt says. "We achieved our growth by appointing a Disability and Social Inclusion Manager to drive cultural change, reviewing job design, engaging on-site leaders for buy-in, engaging disability employment operators, and seeking regular feedback." 

Ventia's Sustainability Strategy is to create a lasting legacy for people and the planet.  

"At Ventia, sustainable thinking is embedded in everything we do, across the environmental, social and governance streams," General Manager Sustainability Alex Monson says.

Our scale and breadth of services gives us the opportunity and the obligation to be a diverse and inclusive employer. Being recognised for one part of that strategy to me shows that we're on the right path.

^{Ventia was the overall winner of the Banksia award in the Diversity and Inclusion category this year.}

The Banksia Awards reflect the goals of the Banksia Foundation, and by aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they aim to shine a light on environmentally and socially sustainable solutions. 

Ventia was certainly in good company in this year's awards, with finalists across the 15 categories including Chandler MacLeod, Coles Group Limited, the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, City of Melbourne and Sydney Metro.  

Banksia CEO Graz van Egmond said, "To all the applicants, we are blown away by the powerful social and environmental impacts demonstrated through your work within the community and your practices. You are making the earth a better place and your efforts do not go unnoticed!".