Australia’s first Disability Employment Centre of Excellence announced

Swinburne University of Technology will host Australia’s first Disability Employment Centre of Excellence, announced by Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth today.  

The $22.1 million Centre of Excellence brings together researchers, peak bodies, employers, people with disability and their families to improve economic participation and employment opportunities. It will deliver online resources centred on lived experience, leverage disability employment experience and access to employment services, and build capacity across the sector. 

Professor Karen Hapgood, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research at Swinburne University said the partnership will help shape a fairer, more inclusive future for disability employment.

Swinburne University of Technology and its Centre for Social Impact has a significant history in building knowledge and solutions to increase the employment of people with disability. Swinburne is proud to expand this work alongside consortium partners including Inclusion Australia, Family Advocacy, Disability Employment Australia, National Disability Services, and the University of Melbourne. 

Find out more about Australia’s first Disability Employment Centre of Excellence

Update from November 2025

The Centre for Inclusive Employment (the Centre), previously known as the Disability Employment Centre of Excellence, provides best-practice, evidence-based information for employment service providers assisting job seekers with disability.

The Centre commenced on 7 March 2025. The first suite of initial resources and an online hub for Inclusive Employment Australia providers was published in September 2025. The new Centre for Inclusive Employment(Opens external website) website went live on 1 November 2025. It will progressively deliver best practice resources and training. This will uplift the sector and ensure providers can deliver high-quality services.