Geraldton Personnel

About Geraldton Personnel Inc.

Employment related services for people with disabilities in the Geraldton region, have in the past, provided assistance in vocational skills development and job search. However, for those people requiring on-the-job training and support, accessing and maintaining open employment wasn’t a particularly viable option until the late 1980s.

Through local research, it was identified that a Competitive Employment Placement and Training Service would fill the gaps in service provision to people with disabilities (with on-the-job training and support needs) wanting to access integrated paid employment.

In June 1988, Greg Lewis & Sue Robertson were invited to Geraldton from Perth to conduct two community workshops on the need for a competitive employment agency for people with disabilities in Geraldton.  A large community response indicated that people with disabilities in Geraldton wanted the option of working in the open workforce for award wages.   In October 1988 a steering committee comprising of Fraser Adam, Catherine Hope, Jenny Crake and Kath McLaughlin met to apply for funds to make Geraldton Personnel a reality.

Paul Thompson was invited to be inaugural Chairperson in June 1989 and willingly accepted. It took two years to gain funding and in October 1990, we opened the doors under our first Manager, Christine Kerr. Our official opening took place on 26^th April 1991 and was officiated by Senator Patricia Giles. 

Almost twenty years on and Geraldton Personnel’s staff continue to work towards our core belief that people with disabilities have worth in society and that worth can be enhanced through paid employment. In this time, hundreds of people have been assisted into award wages.