Nathalie Kasselis

2024 | Trade - Hospitality

Nathalie Kasselis and her employer Hotel Etico Australia are participating in our 2024 pilot program for Employer Supported Scholarships. Read more about this pilot.

“I want to learn from other larger international hospitality organisations who are committed to employing and training people with disability, creating inclusive business practices to achieve an overall sustainable economy.”

Natalie’s scholarship relates to these UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs):

I have applied for this scholarship to deepen my understanding of international perspectives, attitudes, and methodologies within hospitality organisations regarding the employment of people with disability. 

I want to learn from other larger international hospitality organisations who are committed to employing and training people with disability, creating inclusive business practices to achieve an overall sustainable economy. I want to learn about their training models and how to scale it as organisations develop and grow. 

A Global Footprints Scholarship is your opportunity to do more of what you love. What have you done at work that you are proud of or passionate about?

I am passionate about breaking down barriers for employment for people with disability. While it's evident that individuals with disabilities face obstacles from employers, employers themselves also encounter challenges. My goal is to bridge this gap, improving the quality of life for people with disability and fostering inclusive business practices. Together, these elements contribute to overall sustainability and a more inclusive society.

In my work, I manage the training program where our team train and support individuals with disability in various areas of hospitality through a holistic approach.  

A Global Footprints Scholarship is for you if you are passionate about creating a sustainable future. Describe something you have done at work or are working on, that helps the environment. Why is it important to you?

There is a shortage of skilled workers entering the hospitality industry. Alongside this, one in five people in Australia has a disability. As people with disability are more than twice as likely to be unemployed, I ask myself, is there a gap (or, opportunity as I’d rather call it), of a workforce that can be trained and upskilled, to obtain employment opportunities in an industry that is in need? Why is it so hard for people with disability to find and maintain meaningful employment? 

To tackle this issue, my work focuses on two main things;

 1) How to effectively train people with disability - what are things we need to consider or do differently. 

2) How to create disability-confident employers, focusing on the hospitality industry.  

As a BBM Scholar you can choose to go anywhere in the world. Where will you travel with your Scholarship and why?

Firstly, I would like to travel to Italy to meet the founders, staff, and trainees of Hotel Etico in Italy where the model was originally born and Etico Australia drew inspiration from (Asti, Aosta, Cesenatico, Rome). 

 I will also be exploring options to visit other international businesses that have been able to scale successfully.

Nathalie and her employer Hotel Etico are participating in the Global Footprints Employer Supported Stream, a new pilot program that works in partnership between the scholar, their employer and Global Footprints.

As we go through the scholarship program together, we hope to learn from and with each other to maximise opportunities for the scholar, for the employer and their industry and to continue to deliver the greatest possible impact for young people growing a better, more sustainable world.

We thank Hotel Etico for supporting Nathalie and the Global Footprints Scholarships program.