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School Leaver Employment Supports

Line Item Description

School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) is a capacity building support funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to assist young participants in their pathway from school to inclusive employment.

Purpose and Goal

SLES is an early intervention approach designed to help participants in their final years of school, and up to two years after leaving school (generally up to age 22), to gain the essential skills and confidence needed to enter the workforce. The goal is to build an individual's capacity to prepare for, and ultimately obtain, a job in the open labour market. This support focuses on developing a clear plan for a participant's vocational journey. With the appropriate capacity building, the expectation is that the majority of SLES participants will transition to a Disability Employment Service (DES) provider to undertake the job seeking, placement, and post-placement support phases.

Capacity Building Activities

The supports provided under SLES are individualised and should be tailored to the participant's unique employment goals and skill level. Activities focus on developing both hard and soft skills required for the workplace.

A SLES program may include, but is not limited to:

Job Skills Training: Developing core work-related competencies.

Work Experience: Engaging in "try and test" work experience opportunities, often in open workplaces, to explore career interests and build capability.

Soft Skill Development: Improving crucial skills such as communication and interpersonal skills, time management, and learning how to take instruction at work.

Independent Living Skills: Training in areas like money handling, personal hygiene, personal presentation, and travel training to and from a place of work.

Discovery Activities: Exploring vocational interests, abilities, and ideal work environments to help form a customised career development plan.

Job Search Readiness: Assistance with resume writing, interview practice, and setting employment goals.

This support is categorized under the Capacity Building support budget in an NDIS plan, specifically under the registration group Assistance to Access and Maintain Employment or Higher Education (Registration Group 0102).