Junction Support Services is extremely proud to have received two honours at the Albury Wodonga Business Awards – Employer of Choice and Excellence in Health, Education and Disability.
A not-for-profit organisation, Junction runs 28 programs across north east Victoria, ranging from counselling for children who have experienced trauma such as family violence, to Out of Home Care for young people who cannot live with their families or in foster or kinship care, homelessness support for people of all ages and assistance for young parents.
The Albury Wodonga Business Awards were held in front of 400 people at Albury Entertainment Centre on 13 July.
In accepting the awards, Committee of Management member Sherril Hodgens thanked the judges, congratulated all finalists on great work in the community, thanked Business Wodonga and Albury Northside Chamber of Commerce and the award sponsors APM Employment Services and Don Cameron & Associates.
“I’d like to dedicate the Health, Education and Disability award to the 150 young people supported back into education over the past two years and the Employer of Choice award to the 150 staff and 70 volunteers who make Junction a great place to work,” Sherril said.
Junction also won the Employer of Choice award in 2017.
CEO Corienne Krich thanked the Committee of Management of the not-for-profit organisation – Chairperson Sandra Dalton, Treasurer Sherril Hodgens, Neville McCormack, Alby Thomson, Marianne Franke, Linda Phillis, Vern Hilditch, Debbie Ireland and Gerard Crothers.
“This is wonderful recognition that Junction Support Services is and has been a positive presence in our community since our work began in 1989,” she said.
“Our staff are passionate, resourceful and dedicated to supporting clients to achieve good outcomes.
“To receive the Employer of Choice award two years in a row is a tribute to the work that has been done over a long time to provide strong support and wellbeing for our staff, who do challenging work.”
The Excellence in Health, Education and Disability award recognised work across the entire organisation to support clients to achieve their full potential, in particular work to re-engage young people in education and training through an innovative partnership between a not-for-profit organisation and the education sector.
•Junction Support Services runs the Navigator program in Ovens Murray to re-engage young people with a less than 30 per cent school attendance rate to re-engage with school
•Last year, Junction joined with Wodonga Secondary College and Wodonga Middle Years colleges to keep the doors open at Highwater alternative school at Gateway Village and turn it into Choice Learning – a transition environment that has increased student numbers 300 per cent
•Junction has four wellbeing officers at Wodonga Senior Secondary and Wodonga Middle Years colleges
•Junction proudly runs the STARS program in local primary schools
The Employer of Choice award, which Junction also won in 2017, recognised:
•Excellent working conditions and strong support for staff
•Flexible work arrangements
•A strong focus on training and education with each team member having a minimum $500 or 50 hours for training
•Staff-driven wellbeing programs, including self care training and activities, lunches and movie afternoons
•Positive and innovative environment
•Staff can bring their dogs to work
Junction Support Services is proud to be a member of Business Wodonga.
Junction Support Services acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.
