ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
By ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
EVERYONE was welcome to Latrobe Valley Enterprises’ (LVE) open day on Wednesday, June 21. The social enterprise opens its doors to allow the community to see the work its employees do and educate the benefits of inclusivity in the workplace. Guided tours were taken on the hour like clockwork, with the first one starting nice and early at 9:30am and going until 3.30pm. Many came from around the area to take a peek at the operations of the Latrobe Valley enterprise and see the exceptional work done by their employees, who openly live with disabilities. People who came for the tour donned the high visibility vest with light catering and free pens available. The Latrobe Valley Enterprises is a leader in creating opportunities for people with disabilities to thrive through meaningful and sustainable employment. The chief executive of LVE, Suzanne Lewis, was excited to welcome people into the enterprise to showcase her spectacular staff and employees. “We employ 100 plus people here, and around 88 of them have different forms of disabilities, whether it be an intellectual or physical disability,” she said. “Today, we are having tours come through to showcase the great work that our people do.” “It’s about showcasing the different abilities that people have. The work they provide is top quality with amazing outcomes, and it’s about showcasing what our people can do; it’s all about them,” Ms Lewis said. People toured through the building witnessing the four LVE’s business service centres on display, including sign-making services, business support services, recycling and secure document destruction and their ground’s management team. Ms Lewis said that social enterprise was about true inclusion and the sense of worth that people are granted as they’re included in our community. She went on to say that employees at LVE had great job satisfaction from the services that they provide to the community and were well-known and respected for the work they do. “I have a saying that goes ‘No disability but know disability’ because to me we are working here with people who have different forms of disabilities but to us, we look at the ability of what that person can do and that’s what makes LVE really special. We encourage them to go out have a go and be part of the community and show what they can do,” Ms Lewis added. Ms Lewis aims to open more doors for people living with disabilities, hoping to attract more people in need of work and also encourage other businesses to take on the LVE lead. “Inclusivity to me is people having the opportunity to live their everyday life the same as you and I do,” she said. “Hopefully, with people coming through, it opens up other opportunities for people living with disabilities that they could come to LVE and say, ‘I could give that a go’,” she said. “It is also an opportunity for businesses and other organisations to come through and say, ‘Perhaps I could consider having someone with a disability come and work in my workplace’.” As a social enterprise, all LVE’s profits go back to the organisation and its employees. James Center, the LVE’s resident sign and braille expert, loves working at Latrobe Valley Enterprise. “My job is to engrave and make signs of course, I cut the material and all that if the guys are too busy, occasionally spray paint here and there and just more like getting material like stainless steel from the shop,” he explained Mr Center, having worked at LVE for about 15 years, has grown an exceptional understanding of how to do braille work on signage that no one could compete with. Now second nature to him, Mr Center can engrave and make a myriad of signs a day with minimal mess as he is a seasoned professional and perfectionist, says Ms Lewis. “(Latrobe Valley Enterprises) provided me with a job in my youth, it was hard to get work, and also I tried apprenticeships, and they didn’t work out … I felt down in the dumps because of it. This was an opportunity and I didn’t lose all my hair because of it,” he laughed. Eager to tell the story of his most recent purchase, Mr Centre said his stable employment at LVE has given him the financial independence to buy a specialty custom and expensive bike for himself and his family. If you would like to know more about the work that Latrobe Valley Enterprise do head to https://lve.com.au/
