Company History
Interwork was first established in 1991 as an open employment service for people with disabilities.
Initially the organisation existed under a tri-partite management arrangement between the South Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the United Trades and Labour Council, and the funding body now known as the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services.
Originally operating from one office location in Hindmarsh, the organisation was later incorporated as a company adopting the name Interwork Ltd in 1996.
Interwork underwent considerable growth in 2001 to encompass one metropolitan office and extend its programs and services to five regional offices in the South East, Riverland, Eyre, Barossa and Yorke Peninsula.
Also in 2001, Interwork opened two short-term but highly successful specialist service outlets, providing employment for clients including Prime Time, a specialist youth service and Gazebo Café at Glandore Community Centre.
In 2005, funded programs were transferred from the Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS) to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).
A second growth period followed, with the company expanding its state presence from five to 14 offices across South Australia.
As of September 2009, Interwork merged with UK-based Shaw Trust. Shaw Trust is the UK’s largest not-for-profit provider of employment services to disabled and disadvantaged people.
Interwork and Shaw Trust share the same vision and values and their combined experience will support the needs of disadvantaged jobseekers and workers. Our goal is to reach more employers to provide opportunities for people with a disability and others who experience disadvantage in entering the general employment market.
Interwork, will keep its name and has appointed an existing Australian director as Chair of the newly-merged organisation.
Interworks is now the state’s largest not-for-profit specialist employment service and in the future will expand that growth nationally throughout Australia.