“I fell into the disability sector when I got a job as the Factory Manager at our previous Marrickville packaging site,” recalls Leanne. “But I always knew in my heart that I wanted to do something to give back and to help others.”
After moving on from the corporate sector in 2010, AchievAble Enterprises’ Operations Manager, Leanne Larche, landed her dream job. She did not know it then but supporting people with disability at work was set to become a true passion in her life.
“I fell into the disability sector when I got a job as the Factory Manager at our previous Marrickville packaging site,” said Leanne. “But I always knew in my heart that I wanted to do something to give back and help others.”
It is this passion that has seen Leanne lead the employment team for more than a decade and help many people with disability find fulfilling roles at work. More than 60 supported employees work at AchievAble Enterprises, which relocated to a new site in Newington in 2018.
At AchievAble, a professional team of staff work alongside supported employees to provide training and build workplace skills. The team also help people to travel independently to work, make new friends and become part of a welcoming community.
The social enterprise also benefits many local and international brands who come from far and wide to engage the services of Leanne’s team. Product packing, liquid filling, labelling and wrapping are just some areas that the team specialises in. Businesses are attracted by an opportunity to give back to the community and provide more opportunities for people who may find it difficult to secure employment.
“When our business customers come to visit us here onsite, they are blown away to see what we do here and how we operate,” said Leanne. “Customers love the welcome they get from the people we support, and the chance to see how the work touches people’s lives and makes a real difference.”
Forming strong relationships is a big part of the role for Leanne who also works closely with families and carers. Estelle Burge is a family member of supported employee Vicki. After reading about the team receiving the 2020 Team of the Year Award from Achieve Australia, Estelle reached out to extend her gratitude to Leanne.
“Congratulations to you and your team and clients you support. A well-deserved award. It all comes down to leadership and you have shown those strengths necessary for this workplace to achieve their goals and provided a happy, safe workplace for the clients. I thank you always for your support of Vicki and myself,” noted Estelle to Leanne.
For Leanne, her main priority is ensuring the people we support have jobs to come to, and that there is ongoing and meaningful work available for everyone. “I’m passionate about AchievAble being successful because if we don’t have a good business, then we don’t have jobs for our supported employees. It’s all connected,” she explained. “Everything we do is important to our business customers and our supported employees.”
Today more than one year on, Leanne has been working hard through COVID-19 to keep AchievAble going. While it has been a challenging time in periods of lockdown, the full team of employees are now back on deck. Business is also thriving, and operations are back to pre-COVID levels.
AchievAble Enterprises’ Operations Manager, Leanne Larche with one of our Clients.
“We’re on the other side now,” said Leanne. “Our labour hire sites are also back up and running. This means that some of our employees are back in the workforce at places like the Botanic Gardens, Finsbury Green and Derivan.”
While the Newington hub keeps busy, some exciting new training opportunities are coming up soon for the team. In February 2023, AchievAble will launch a new accredited course for supported employees in partnership with BSI Learning, an organisation that delivers custom e-learning courses. So far, 14 employees are enrolled in the Certificate III in Process Manufacturing course that starts next year. At the 2022 PACE Awards, Leanne won an award from Achieve Australia for her commitment to inclusiveness.
Leanne says it’s been something she has always wanted to do for the team. “It’s really exciting because it gives people the chance to upskill or gain new skills. Supported employees can also get a qualification at the end,” said Leanne. “Being able to offer these kinds of opportunities along with regular work is why I love what I do every day.”
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