Active Monash - Integrated Practical Placement Program

Published on 26 April 2023

Group Photo of 2023 IPP Students.jpg

In partnership with Holmesglen Institute and WISE Employment, Active Monash will be hosting the third Integrated Practical Placement (IPP) Program this year. The program provides students who have permanent cognitive impairment / intellectual disability and complex learning needs with the foundation of employment-ready skills through extensive supported experiences. 

Active Monash was the first recreation centre on a national level to facilitate this partnership program. A strong partnership between Active Monash, Holmesglen and WISE Employment ensures the ongoing growth and success of both the students and the program. We are also proud to announce that the program is currently nominated for the LGPro Awards For Excellence - Diversity & Inclusion Award. 

The IPP Program has made a significant contribution towards celebrating and championing diversity within The City of Monash's workforce and community. It also helps to redress historical inequities by ensuring people with a disability are more successfully included in the workforce thereby highlighting that our workforce is more reflective of our community. 

Historically, people with a disability who participated in further education, would complete a certificate and return to study instead of transitioning into the workforce. The purpose of this program is to create a more substantial transition into employment and future independence for the IPP student. With support and planning, Active Monash has confidently delivered practical workplace experiences for IPP students to practice classroom-taught skills in a real-world setting. Exposure to front-line customer service in a controlled environment enables the student to develop resilience and confidence before engaging in employment. 

The students of 2021 were proven success of this program, with six of the inaugural nine students becoming successful in gaining and maintaining meaningful employment. With learnings from the first year of the program, Active Monash were in prime position to start 2022, evolving supports and experiences for students, staff and community.  

For students to be provided a space to flourish and succeed, education and development for staff working with and supporting people with a disability is prioritised. Active Monash achieved this by providing staff with a variety of training - through online modules and open discussions with key professionals. The commitment to ongoing professional development continues during the program through the partnership between Active Monash staff and Holmesglen teachers as a continuous support network.  

Community education and social inclusion are substantial benefits of the IPP program in building the sustainability of people with a disability through open employment and community connection. Increased self-worth, connection to community and confidence have become evident in the community and the students as they have navigated through their onsite engagement. The presence of the IPP program has reduced social isolation and increased independence, thus creating better health outcomes for the City of Monash.   

Our commitment to the IPP students is reaffirming our belief in them and the program by encouraging the best-practice educational approach, leading to successful transitions of the students from education into the workplace environment and the community. Our participation in the IPP program has allowed the City of Monash to be a leading organisation as the first recreation centre to partner with Holmesglen and WISE Employment to provide measurable placement and employment outcomes for people with a disability. "Monash is a city that empowers its community to live healthy, connected lives and is a liveable place where we all belong".