Timely thought leadership responding to labour market conditions
Sector
Disability employment | Government contracting | Policy and workforce engagement
CONTEXT
At the time of the project, Australia was experiencing a historically low unemployment rate, with many industries reporting persistent skills shortages and workforce constraints. Despite this, people with disability continued to be underrepresented in employment, often overlooked by employers as a potential workforce solution.
The organisation operates in the disability employment sector and holds multiple government contracts, working closely with policymakers, employment service providers and businesses. Infodec Communications identified an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to public and industry discussion by reframing disability employment as a practical economic and workforce issue, rather than solely a social or compliance consideration.
WHAT WAS REQUIRED
The organisation required a timely, research-led Smart Paper (white paper) that would:
- respond directly to current labour market conditions
- highlight the economic and productivity benefits of inclusive employment
- challenge prevailing assumptions about disability and workforce participation
- support informed discussion across government, industry and business audiences
- be suitable for external use across professional and media channels
The paper needed to be credible, accessible and relevant to decision-makers operating in a constrained labour market environment.
OUR ROLE
Infodec Communications conceived and led the development of the Smart Paper in consultation with the client.
This included:
- identifying the strategic opportunity to link disability employment to labour shortages and workforce participation
- researching disability employment policy, participation data and proven economic outcomes
- translating policy and economic analysis into clear, business-relevant insights
- structuring and writing a Smart Paper suitable for government, industry and employer audiences
- ensuring the content could be adapted for external engagement, including LinkedIn and media commentary
The work focused on agenda-setting thought leadership that was both evidence-based and relevant to prevailing economic conditions.
OUTCOME
The Smart Paper repositioned disability employment as a workforce and economic opportunity, rather than a secondary or compliance-driven issue.
By directly addressing low unemployment and labour shortages, the paper provided a credible evidence base to encourage employers and policymakers to reconsider how people with disability are viewed within workforce planning.
The paper was subsequently used as the foundation for a broader LinkedIn and media campaign, supporting timely engagement with business, industry and government stakeholders.
