Building skills and getting a job

At school and thinking about work?

Participants can start preparing for work after they leave school by doing extra work experience or getting a part-time job.

Employment assistance can help with building skills for work if a student’s disability means they need extra help. Skills include: 

• using public transport
• managing money 
• working in a team
• doing a job.

Work experience is part of the school curriculum and the responsibility of the school. NDIS may be able to help with extra support a participant needs because of their disability.

NDIS does not fund supports that are the responsibility of an employer, school or training provider but may fund extra disability related supports a participant needs to complete a VET course or school-based traineeship.

Participants can use their community participation funding to build skills and take steps toward employment. A community participation provider can help a participant: 

• learn to use public transport
• improve communication
• meet people and connect into the community 
• find new interests and skills
• work well in a team.

Gaining confidence in these areas can be the first steps towards employment.

Are you a Year 12 student or leaving school?

Leaving school is a big step. When a participant is leaving school, they might need help to build their skills and be ready for work.

Wanting to get your first job?

Young people with difficulties in learning, social interaction and self-management require individualised attention to explore work opportunities and to plan a pathway to employment. Each person’s needs will be different, but the activities listed below are essential for success in employment:

• money handling
• time management
• communication and interpersonal skills
• using public transport
• problem solving and decision making
• identifying work preferences
• on the job work experience
• job customisation
• employer connection and education
• assistance to get a job
• coaching to learn a job
• continuing support to maintain employment (when required).

NDIA works with education providers to enable students with disability to make a smooth transition from school to employment or further education. Employment outcomes are optimised when students, parents and teachers commence planning early and not wait until the end of school to consider employment pathways.

Participants can speak to their school about the information and connections they can provide to develop a career transition plan. A participant can use the transition plan in conversations with their local area coordinator or planner to ensure the right supports to move from school to work are included in their NDIS plan.

Thinking about further study or training after school?

Tertiary education or vocational training is a common pathway to work, and necessary for many jobs.

Employment assistance is available to participants who require extra help to make the right connections at TAFE or university.

The NDIS does not fund what TAFE or university are responsible for but can assist participants to access and successfully engage in further education or training. This might include: 

• personal care whilst studying or undertaking approved placements 
• transport if unable to drive or use public transport, because of their disability 
• training for staff at university, TAFE or host employer (during placements) about individual support needs.

Employment assistance is also available to enable participants to obtain suitable employment after they qualify.

Not yet working but want to work?

Some participants were not ready for work when they first left school.

Others received employment services outside of NDIS or even tried work without success. It is never too late to start planning to work.

Employment assistance is available to help participants build skills for work, gain experience, and find a job that is right for them. The NDIS provides more intensive assistance than employment programs such as Disability Employment Services offer.

Employment related assessment, counselling and advice may benefit participants who have limited work experience to identify barriers to employment and inform a work goal and employment development plan. This can inform adjustments to work processes or workplaces (job customisation) that enable a participant to be productive and safe at work.

Volunteering

Volunteering is unpaid work. It can be a great first step to getting paid work.

Being a volunteer has lots of benefits. It can help participants gain work experience in a field of interest and can increase work skills and general wellbeing.

Volunteering can build important personal and work relationships as well as having a positive impact on the community.

Participants can speak to their LAC or support coordinator about opportunities to volunteer in their area. They can speak to their planner about the support they need to participate.

Planning for work

A planning meeting is a chance for participants to talk to their NDIS Planner about their work goals, and any barriers they faced in finding or keeping a job.

The Let's talk about work booklet can help participants prepare for a conversation about their work goals and how NDIS can help.

Finding employment service providers

When a participant receives their approved plan, it’s time to choose an employment provider.

The Provider finder has information about where employment providers deliver services.

Local area or support coordinators can also help find suitable providers.

Provider comparison worksheet

Questions to ask a provider and compare services offered are on the provider comparison worksheet.

• Employment support provider comparison worksheet (DOCX 96KB)
• Employment support provider comparison worksheet (PDF 258KB)

Provider reporting and outcomes

Providers who deliver employment assistance to participants moving from school to work report to the Agency on their services and outcomes they achieved.

The NDIA publishes the Provider quarterly report - School leaver employment to highlight what helps participants find and keep a job.

Participants can discuss these results with providers and enquire how the provider will help them to reach their own work goals.

Visit Outcomes by provider to view individual provider results.

What to expect from a provider

Providers work with participants to tailor activities that meet their unique needs.

Employment assistance is intended to assist a participant to prepare for, find and keep a job matched to their abilities and interests whilst meeting the job requirements of the employer.

Providers are expected to develop a Service Agreement with the participant which details agreed outcomes, a schedule of activities, and when progress will be reviewed and necessary adjustments made.

For more information visit Service Agreements.

NDIS employment assistance and other employment programs

The NDIS is responsible for funding employment supports when a participant needs more intensive assistance than that available through general employment programs.

These programs, including Disability Employment Services, continue to be responsible for providing advice and support to:

• individual jobseekers with disability to find and maintain employment, where the jobseeker has existing work skills and limited ongoing support needs.
• encourage employers to hire and be inclusive of people with disability in the workplace (e.g. support, training and resources, financial assistance to help employers make reasonable adjustments, and incentives to hire people with disability, such as wage subsidies).

NDIS employment providers can work concurrently with a Disability Employment Service provider for a period of time to help a participant find and keep a job. A joint plan needs to be developed that outlines the assistance each provider will deliver to ensure there are no gaps or overlaps in service.

More information

• Work and study Operational Guideline
• School leaver employment supports booklet
• School leaver participant survey report
• Provider quarterly report – School leaver employment
• Outcome by provider list
• School leaver employment goals worksheet (DOCX 111KB)
• School leaver employment goals worksheet (PDF 208KB)

Information for providers

Visit the Delivering capacity building employment assistance page for more information, including a copy of the NDIS Provider reporting tool and Provider quarterly report.