Supporting school leavers

Every parent wants to see their child thrive – and, when the time is right, grow their independence – so it’s important to consider the needs of children and their families when it comes time to transition out of a structured school environment.

If you have a child who’s participating in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and has just left school (or who’s planning to leave later this year), they may be entitled to School Leaver Employment Supports to assist them with the next step in their life journey.

Designed to help NDIS participants move from school to work, School Leaver Employment Supports are available to students who are in their final year and preparing to leave secondary school. They can help young people to prepare for, look for, and gain employment and achieve their work goals.

School Leaver Employment Supports provide individualised support for up to two years after finishing school to help young people get ready for work and map out a tailored plan towards employment. They can help to remove barriers that people with disability sometimes face in the job market, foster partnerships and goodwill in the local community, and engage and connect with prospective employers.

School Leaver Employment Supports can also help to improve confidence and offer increased certainty about moving forward by helping young people lock in experience and lay down foundations for the future. A wide range of assistance is available, including:

• money handling training
• time management skills
• communication skills
• discovery activities
• work experience
• job readiness
• travel training
• personal development

And the great news is, School Leaver Employment Supports are NDIS-funded – meaning there’s one less cost to starting post-education life!

Find out more information about School Leaver Employment Supports here.

The NDIS recently published this School leaver participant survey report, which highlights what participants thought of their School Leaver Employment Supports experience and the outcomes they achieved.