Today, we continue to provide ongoing support through tailored programs, initiatives and workshops as we believe everyone in the community has the right to work. Here’s a little rundown on what we’ve been up to over the last two and a bit decades:
1992 – WISE began operation as an employment agency in Victoria for people with an intellectual disability, founded by John Bateup and Sue Ranking.
1998 – WISE begins to provide services under what is now known as the jobactive program in Victoria
1999 – WISE expands its services from three to ten offices across Melbourne
2001 – WISE created the Community Investment Division to reinvest 20% of our annual surplus into community projects
2002 – The Community Investment Division begins the ‘Make it Work’ program to support reintegration into the community of those with a criminal record and runs to 2006 having supported 336 voluntary participants.
2003 – WISE becomes a nationally registered training organisation.
WISE becomes the major sponsor of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s Employment program, enhancing our links to the refugee and asylum seeker community
2004 – WISE begins the ‘Bridging the Gap’ program in Victoria, an intensive post release support program for high risk offenders which ran for 11 years.
2005 – WISE welcomes Clean Force VIC, Equity Intowork, Equity Labour Services (ELS) into the WISE team. WISE merges with JobMatch to expand into disability employment in Tasmania.
2006 – The Skills2Work program is created and launched, assisting young people with a disability into training and preparation for employment. WISE Employment merges with Active Employment to begin operating in NSW.
2007 – WISE launches its Occupational Rehabilitation services and WISE Personal Helpers and Mentors service (PHaMs)
2008 – WISE launches WISE Ability, a UK employment services in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire
2009 – WISE expands into the Northern Territory with the jobactive program
2010 – Incito Maintenance, a WISE Social Enterprise, begins operations in VIC. WISE launches DiversityWISE, a program for new migrants in Darwin.
2013 – WISE runs a community initiative – Stand Up For Mental Health – providing comedy training and a live stand up show for people with a mental illness
2014 – WISE merges with Interwork to deliver disability employment and training services in South Australia
2015 – WISE begins an NDIS pilot program for young people with a disability in Tasmania.
2016 – WISE Ability launches Edison Cafe, its first Social Enterprise and expands services in the UK with WISE Choices, an innovative specialist mental health service
2017 – WISE celebrates 25 years of service; head over to WISE Employment for more information about our employment services