The men who shared their stories with us were impressive people but also very different from each other.  However, there were some very useful common themes that emerged that could help with recruitment and retention of more men in Disability workforce in Regional Victoria.  These include:

1. The value proposition for men working in Disability in Regional Victoria appears to be:

• Real relationships and being able to make positive differences in people’s lives
• Lots of variety and challenges
• Flexible work hours helping workers manage family and personal work-life balance
• Getting out, working outside the office and moving around

2. Sourcing and attraction information

The majority of the men had wives who were working in health (nurses and a GP) and had come to Shepparton for their wives’ work.  So advertising opportunities in nurse, GP or other journals and communications could be an effective approach to attracting more men into Disability jobs in Regional Victoria.

A number of the men were involved in local sporting clubs and activities.  They learned more about job opportunities in Disability through people they met through these activities including between towns as teams came together to play each other.

A clear pattern of managers recognising the importance of their role in actively identifying and recruiting workers was evident.  Common themes were managers welcoming them in, recognising their potential, minimising barriers and encouraging and facilitating their move to work within Connect GV. 

Availability of work in their local area was important for a number of men who had had trouble finding work in their area of Regional Victoria

3. Retention

Key themes relating to why the men stayed working in Disability included: the positive culture at Connect GV, supporting and respectful management, job security, flexible work arrangements, variety and nature of the work and above all their ability to realise their passion to help people in need.