Many parents first hear about School Leaver Employment Supports when their child is approaching the end of Year 12. This can create the impression that a young person must officially finish school before any employment assistance can begin.

That is not always the case.

Current NDIS guidance recognises that a student of working age may need disability-related assistance to gain additional work experience, find or keep a part-time job outside school hours, build job-ready skills or successfully complete a school-based traineeship. The important issue is not simply whether the student is still enrolled at school. It is whether they have an employment goal and need extra support because of disability that is not already the responsibility of their school, employer or traineeship provider.

This distinction can be extremely important for young people who would benefit from starting employment preparation before their final day of school.

Waiting until after graduation may mean losing valuable time that could have been used to:

• Explore different industries
• Build confidence in real workplaces
• Learn how to travel to a job
• Practise workplace communication
• Find a suitable after-school position
• Prepare for a school-based traineeship
• Identify helpful workplace adjustments
• Discover which duties and environments are a good fit
• Build routines that make the transition out of school less abrupt

However, employment assistance delivered while a student is at school must be carefully planned. The NDIS is not intended to replace careers education, curriculum-based work experience, teaching, ordinary workplace induction or the standard responsibilities of a traineeship provider.

Next Gen Youth Employment helps families, students, schools and support coordinators understand where these responsibilities begin and end. As a specialist youth employment provider, we focus on personalised, practical support that connects a young person’s existing strengths with meaningful workplace opportunities.

This guide explains:

• Whether employment support can start before Year 12 ends
• What SLES eligibility may involve
• How part-time job support may work
• What assistance may be available during a school-based traineeship
• Which responsibilities remain with schools, employers and training providers
• When families should raise employment goals with the NDIS
• What evidence may demonstrate the need for additional support
• How to avoid paying twice for similar services
• Whether support may continue after the student leaves school
• How Next Gen Youth Employment can help create a coordinated pathway

The Direct Answer: Can SLES Start While a Student Is Still at School?

A student does not necessarily have to wait until they have completed Year 12 to receive NDIS-funded employment assistance.

Current NDIS guidance says support may be available for a student of working age who wants extra work experience, a part-time job outside school hours or help with a school-based traineeship. The NDIS may fund extra skill-building or workplace assistance when it is required because of disability and is beyond what the school, employer or traineeship provider must ordinarily deliver.

This does not mean every student automatically receives a full SLES program before school ends.

The actual decision depends on factors such as:

• Whether the young person is an NDIS participant
• Whether employment is included in their goals
• How disability affects their preparation for or participation in work
• What assistance the school already provides
• What assistance an employer or traineeship provider must provide
• Whether the proposed support meets current NDIS funding requirements
• Whether employment funding is included in the participant’s plan
• What evidence has been provided
• Whether the proposed service is likely to be effective and beneficial

NDIS supports must relate to disability, help the participant work towards their goals, provide value for money and work alongside mainstream systems rather than duplicate them. Funding decisions are individual and are based on the participant’s circumstances and supporting information.

For some students, early support may involve a small number of targeted activities rather than an intensive post-school timetable.

For example, a Year 11 or Year 12 student might receive assistance to:

• Identify an appropriate part-time role
• Prepare for an interview
• Learn a transport route
• Develop workplace communication strategies
• Attend additional work experience outside the curriculum
• Settle into an after-school job
• Manage disability-related barriers during a traineeship

After the student finishes school, the frequency and type of support may change to reflect their new routine, employment goals and level of need.

What Is SLES? Understanding SLES Meaning Before School Ends

SLES meaning is School Leaver Employment Supports.

People commonly search phrases such as what is SLES, NDIS SLES, SLES NDIS and SLES program NDIS when looking for employment assistance for a young person with disability.

SLES is associated with the transition from school towards employment. It is designed to build a participant’s capacity, confidence and practical job skills rather than simply place them into any available role.

A personalised program may include:

• Career exploration
• Strengths and interests assessment
• Workplace communication
• Time management
• Travel training
• Resume preparation
• Interview coaching
• Employer engagement
• Work experience
• On-the-job coaching
• Workplace routines
• Support to understand employer expectations
• Strategies for managing disability-related barriers
• Assistance to find and maintain employment

Current NDIS provider guidance describes employment assistance as support that can help participants try work activities, develop essential work skills, use public transport, communicate in a workplace, understand employer expectations, manage barriers, connect with employers and develop a career plan. Providers are expected to create a tailored support plan that records the participant’s goals, barriers, services, delivery arrangements and review schedule.

In a participant’s plan, the funding may appear under employment assistance or the broader Finding and Keeping a Job category.

This is why families may encounter terms such as:

• Finding and Keeping a Job NDIS
• NDIS Finding and Keeping a Job
• Employment assistance
• Capacity Building employment supports
• School Leaver Employment Supports

SLES describes the school-to-work context, while Finding and Keeping a Job is broader employment-funding terminology. Families should review the wording and funding in the participant’s actual plan rather than assuming that every young person will have a line item labelled exactly “SLES”.

SLES Eligibility While Still at School

Being enrolled in school does not automatically exclude a student from employment assistance.

However, SLES eligibility is not determined solely by age, year level or a desire to get a job.

Relevant considerations may include:

• The young person is an NDIS participant
• They have an employment goal
• Their disability creates additional barriers to preparing for, finding or maintaining work
• The proposed support addresses those disability-related barriers
• The assistance is not already available through the school, employer or training system
• The support meets the NDIS funding criteria
• Appropriate employment funding is included in the plan

A student may be doing well academically and still need substantial help with:

• Communicating with supervisors
• Processing workplace instructions
• Initiating tasks
• Managing changes in routine
• Travelling independently
• Understanding workplace boundaries
• Regulating anxiety in an unfamiliar environment
• Maintaining attention
• Organising uniforms, rosters and transport
• Responding to feedback
• Recognising when to ask for help

These needs may not be obvious from school grades alone.

Similarly, having a diagnosis does not automatically establish SLES funding eligibility. The information supplied should explain the practical effect of disability and the extra support the young person needs to pursue employment.

Next Gen Youth Employment can help families think through these functional needs and prepare clear questions before speaking with their my NDIS contact, support coordinator or planner. We cannot approve funding or guarantee a particular plan decision, but we can explain how our employment support works and what information may be useful.

Why Employment Preparation May Need to Begin Before School Finishes

The final years of school can provide a valuable opportunity to test employment goals while the student still has familiar routines and support around them.

Starting early does not mean rushing a young person into work before they are ready. It means creating enough time to explore, practise and learn.

Employment interests can be tested gradually

A student may say they want to work in retail because it is the only industry they know. After practical exposure, they may discover that they prefer stock handling, online order fulfilment or visual merchandising to continuous customer service.

Another student may express an interest in hospitality but find that a busy café is overwhelming. A quieter food-preparation role, bakery, catering environment or back-of-house position may be more suitable.

Early vocational exploration allows the young person to learn through experience rather than having to make a major career decision based only on classroom conversations.

Travel skills can take time

Getting to work is often one of the biggest practical barriers to employment.

A student may need to learn how to:

• Plan a route
• Read a timetable
• Use a transport app
• Recognise the correct stop
• Manage transfers
• Travel during peak periods
• Respond when a service is cancelled
• Contact a trusted person
• Arrive before a shift starts
• Return home safely after work

Current NDIS employment guidance recognises learning to use public transport as a potential work-readiness support where extra assistance is needed because of disability.

Beginning travel training before school ends can give the participant repeated opportunities to practise without making their first paid shift the first time they attempt the route alone.

Confidence develops through real experience

Classroom learning can explain workplace expectations, but actual experience helps a student understand what a shift feels like.

Practical exposure may help answer questions such as:

• Can I stay focused for three hours?
• Do I enjoy speaking with customers?
• Can I manage a noisy workplace?
• Do I prefer repetitive or varied tasks?
• What type of instructions help me?
• What happens when I make a mistake?
• How do I tell a supervisor I need assistance?
• Can I manage school and part-time work together?

The answers help the participant and provider create a more realistic post-school plan.

Support needs can be identified before a job is at risk

When a young person starts their first job without preparation, disability-related barriers may only become apparent after problems arise.

Early support can identify:

• The need for visual instructions
• Difficulty remembering multi-step tasks
• Sensory triggers
• Communication misunderstandings
• Fatigue patterns
• Challenges with unstructured downtime
• Anxiety about making mistakes
• Difficulty adapting to roster changes
• The need for more direct feedback

These issues can then be addressed through coaching, gradual skill development and communication with the employer.

School Transition Support Versus NDIS-Funded Employment Assistance

One of the most important parts of planning support before graduation is deciding who is responsible for what.

A student can receive support from several systems at the same time, including:

• Their school
• The NDIS
• An employer
• A registered training organisation
• A traineeship provider
• Family members
• Community or mainstream employment services

These supports should work together, but they should not all charge or claim responsibility for the same activity.

What the school remains responsible for

Schools are responsible for education and the ordinary supports required to access the school curriculum.

This may include:

• Teaching and educational instruction
• Curriculum-based careers education
• Ordinary transition planning provided to students
• Work experience included in the curriculum
• Educational assessment
• School staff
• Reasonable adjustments related to education
• Accessible learning materials
• School-based supervision
• Supporting participation in education on the same basis as other students

The NDIS Work and Study guideline specifically states that work experience forming part of the school curriculum is the school’s responsibility. It also lists education and tuition fees, educational supports and standard school equipment among costs the NDIS does not ordinarily fund.

This means an NDIS employment provider should not simply reproduce the school’s existing careers class and charge the participant’s plan for the same service.

What the NDIS may support

The NDIS may consider additional assistance that the young person needs because of disability and that is beyond the school’s ordinary role.

This could include:

• Extra work experience outside the curriculum
• Additional support to participate in a school placement
• Individualised workplace communication coaching
• Disability-related travel training connected to work
• Help managing barriers to part-time employment
• Extra on-site assistance during a traineeship
• A personalised employment plan
• Support to find a suitable role
• Help settling into a workplace
• Disability-specific strategies that are not educational teaching

The official guideline distinguishes curriculum-based work experience from extra disability-related assistance that enables participation or provides additional work exposure beyond what the school offers.

What the employer remains responsible for

An employer continues to have ordinary workplace responsibilities.

These generally include:

• Paying wages and entitlements
• Providing a safe workplace
• Conducting ordinary recruitment
• Providing induction
• Explaining the role
• Delivering standard workplace training
• Providing ordinary supervision and coaching
• Managing performance fairly
• Supplying equipment required for the job
• Making reasonable workplace adjustments

Current NDIS guidance states that workplace training, supervision and coaching needed by all workers are employer responsibilities. The NDIS may consider extra support directly related to disability, such as assistance to remain on task or work as part of a team, where that support goes beyond what the employer ordinarily provides.

What the traineeship or training provider remains responsible for

A traineeship provider or registered training organisation is responsible for the formal training component.

This may include:

• Course delivery
• Teaching
• Assessment
• Qualification requirements
• Learning materials
• Educational adjustments
• Trainer support
• Recording competency
• Issuing qualifications or statements of attainment

The NDIS does not replace these educational responsibilities. However, disability-related support may be considered where it is needed to help the participant access or successfully complete the traineeship.

A simple responsibility test

Before an activity begins, ask:

1. Would the school normally provide this to another student?
2. Would the employer normally provide this to another new worker?
3. Is this part of the training provider’s teaching or assessment role?
4. What extra assistance does this particular student need because of disability?
5. Is that extra assistance included in the participant’s NDIS plan?
6. How will everyone avoid providing the same support twice?

The answer should be written into a coordinated plan wherever possible.

NDIS SLES Support for a Part-Time Job Outside School Hours

A part-time job can be one of the most effective ways for a young person to build confidence, develop workplace habits and gain experience before leaving school.

Current NDIS SLES guidelines recognise that a young participant may need extra disability-related support to find or maintain a job outside school hours. Examples identified by the NDIS include teamwork, staying on task, money management, public transport, understanding employer expectations, finding a role and settling into the workplace.

The exact assistance will depend on the participant.

Exploring suitable part-time jobs

The first available job is not always the most appropriate job.

A provider may help the student consider:

• Preferred industries
• Customer-facing versus task-focused duties
• Workplace noise and sensory demands
• Shift length
• Travel distance
• Evening or weekend availability
• Physical requirements
• Communication demands
• Level of supervision
• Opportunities to learn new skills

For example, a young person interested in retail may be well suited to stock replenishment but find checkout work difficult. Another participant may enjoy hospitality tasks but need a quieter venue and predictable shifts.

Next Gen Youth Employment helps young people explore these practical details so job searching is based on compatibility rather than simply submitting as many applications as possible.

Preparing a resume and applications

The student may need support to:

• Identify skills gained at school
• Describe volunteering or work experience
• Select referees
• Understand job advertisements
• Create an accessible resume
• Complete online applications
• Write a basic cover letter
• Organise certificates
• Track vacancies and application dates

The aim should be capability building.

Rather than completing every application for the student, a Next Gen Youth Employment coach may break the process into manageable steps and develop templates the young person can use more independently over time.

Interview preparation

Interview support may involve:

• Explaining the interview process
• Practising common questions
• Identifying examples of strengths
• Preparing questions for the employer
• Discussing clothing and presentation
• Planning transport
• Rehearsing how to request clarification
• Preparing for online interviews
• Discussing whether workplace adjustments may be needed

Mock interviews can be tailored to the industry. A warehouse interview may focus on safety, punctuality and following instructions, while a hospitality interview may place greater emphasis on communication, teamwork and customer service.

Travel training

A provider may help the participant learn the actual route to work.

Training could progress from:

1. Reviewing the route on a map
2. Travelling with full coaching
3. Letting the participant lead while the coach observes
4. Practising how to manage a missed stop or delay
5. Travelling with remote check-ins
6. Independent travel where safe and appropriate

The participant may still need ongoing transport assistance depending on their disability and plan. Independence should not be treated as the only acceptable outcome.

Settling into the workplace

Starting a job can be overwhelming, even after a successful interview.

Disability-related assistance may include:

• Learning sign-in procedures
• Understanding a roster
• Preparing for shifts
• Organising a uniform
• Following visual instructions
• Asking what to do next
• Reporting when a task is complete
• Responding to feedback
• Managing breaks
• Communicating an absence
• Adapting to changes
• Building relationships with co-workers

The employer remains responsible for standard induction and supervision. The provider’s role is to address the additional barriers created by disability.

Maintaining the job while managing school

The participant may also need help balancing employment with:

• Homework
• Assessments
• Exams
• Travel
• Rest
• Disability-related fatigue
• Therapy or appointments
• Family responsibilities
• Social activities

A young person should not be pushed into a schedule that undermines their education, health or wellbeing.

The employment plan may initially involve one short shift per week and increase only when the student is coping well.

Extra Work Experience Before Leaving School

Work experience can take several forms.

It may be:

• A formal school placement
• An additional placement arranged outside the curriculum
• A workplace tour
• A short job trial
• Volunteering connected to an employment goal
• Practical task sampling
• An employer-led industry experience
• A placement arranged through an NDIS employment provider

Curriculum-based work experience

Where work experience is part of the school curriculum, the school is responsible for arranging and delivering the ordinary program.

This may include:

• Placement documentation
• School approval
• Curriculum requirements
• Insurance arrangements
• Basic monitoring
• Contact with the host employer
• Educational assessment

However, a participant may need additional disability-related assistance to access the placement effectively. The NDIS may consider that extra support where it is not part of the school’s ordinary responsibility.

Additional work experience outside the curriculum

A student may need more workplace exposure than the school can provide.

Reasons may include:

• The school placement was too short to assess suitability
• The placement did not match the student’s interests
• The participant needs gradual exposure
• Additional practice is required
• The young person wants to compare industries
• Disability-related barriers prevented meaningful participation
• The first placement identified a different career direction

Current guidance explicitly recognises additional work experience outside the school curriculum as a potential employment support.

A personalised placement should have clear goals.

For example:

• Follow a visual task list for 45 minutes
• Ask the supervisor for clarification
• Complete a beginning-of-shift routine
• Work alongside a colleague
• Identify two preferred duties
• Travel to the workplace with fewer prompts
• Respond to constructive feedback

At Next Gen Youth Employment, work experience is not treated as a way to keep a participant occupied. It should produce useful information about their abilities, interests, barriers and next employment steps.

Disability-Related Support During a School-Based Traineeship

A school-based traineeship combines secondary school, paid employment and formal vocational training.

Because three systems are involved, responsibility can become confusing.

The student may receive support from:

• Their school
• Their employer
• Their traineeship or training provider
• Their family
• An NDIS employment provider

Current NDIS guidance says it does not fund supports that belong to the school, employer or traineeship provider. However, extra disability-related support may be considered where it helps the participant maintain employment and successfully complete the traineeship.

Examples of support that may be considered

Depending on the participant’s plan and needs, assistance might include:

• Preparing for the workplace component
• Learning the travel route
• Developing routines for school, training and shifts
• Using visual task instructions
• Practising workplace communication
• Managing disability-related anxiety
• Understanding changes to duties
• Staying focused on tasks
• Asking for clarification
• Communicating support needs
• Building independence
• Reviewing feedback from the employer
• Helping coordinate agreed support strategies
• Additional disability-related coaching at work

The provider should be able to explain why each activity is needed and how it differs from ordinary workplace supervision or course teaching.

Responsibilities of the school

The school may remain responsible for:

• The student’s secondary education
• Curriculum planning
• School attendance matters
• Educational adjustments
• Coordination required under the school-based pathway
• School-related transition support
• Monitoring educational progress

Responsibilities of the employer

The employer generally remains responsible for:

• Wages and entitlements
• A safe workplace
• Ordinary induction
• Standard task training
• Appropriate supervision
• Workplace equipment
• Reasonable adjustments
• Normal performance feedback
• Rosters and workplace policies

Responsibilities of the training provider

The traineeship provider or registered training organisation generally remains responsible for:

• Delivering the qualification
• Teaching course content
• Assessing competency
• Providing accessible educational materials
• Making education-related adjustments
• Communicating training requirements
• Recording progress

Responsibilities of the NDIS provider

The NDIS provider’s role should focus on the additional disability-related assistance that enables the student to participate in the employment pathway.

This should not involve:

• Delivering the qualification instead of the training provider
• Completing assessments for the student
• Replacing the employer’s supervisor
• Paying the participant’s wages
• Performing the participant’s job duties
• Charging for school responsibilities
• Duplicating adjustments already provided through education

Next Gen Youth Employment can work collaboratively with the people involved, with the participant’s consent, to clarify roles and maintain a consistent employment direction.

When Should Families Begin Discussing Employment Goals With the NDIS?

Families do not need to wait until the last weeks of Year 12 to raise employment.

A good time to begin is when the young person:

• Starts expressing an interest in work
• Begins school work experience
• Considers a part-time job
• Is offered a school-based traineeship
• Needs more support than the school can provide
• Encounters disability-related barriers in a workplace
• Has an upcoming plan meeting or reassessment
• Starts preparing to leave school
• Is uncertain about post-school options

The NDIS encourages participants to think about work and study goals during planning. Employment goals can relate to exploring work, gaining experience, building skills, finding a part-time job or maintaining employment. A my NDIS contact or support coordinator can help the participant consider these goals.

Avoid goals that are too vague

A general goal such as:

“I want to be more independent.”

may not clearly communicate the young person’s employment direction.

A more useful goal might be:

“I want to explore retail and warehouse work, learn to travel to a workplace and develop the communication skills I need to get a part-time job.”

Another example might be:

“I want extra disability-related support to maintain my school-based traineeship and become more independent with workplace tasks.”

The goal itself does not guarantee funding. The NDIA also considers whether the proposed support meets its funding requirements.

However, a clear goal helps everyone understand what the participant is trying to achieve.

Include the participant’s voice

Parents, teachers and support coordinators can contribute valuable information, but the young person should be actively involved.

Ask them:

• What jobs sound interesting?
• Which school subjects or activities do they enjoy?
• What tasks do they prefer?
• What type of environment feels comfortable?
• What worries them about work?
• What would they like to learn?
• Would they prefer to begin with work experience or paid employment?
• How would they like support to be provided?

Some participants may communicate their preferences through pictures, examples, demonstrations or practical trials rather than long verbal discussions.

Next Gen Youth Employment uses individualised exploration to help young people turn broad interests into realistic employment goals.

Evidence That May Support a Request for Early Employment Assistance

The information supplied should explain more than the participant’s diagnosis.

It should demonstrate:

• Their employment goal
• The practical effect of disability
• The barriers they experience
• What the school or employer already provides
• What additional assistance is needed
• How the proposed support may help
• Why the assistance is likely to be effective
• How progress will be measured

NDIS funding decisions consider individual information and evidence, including whether a support relates to disability, assists with goals, works alongside mainstream services and is likely to be effective and beneficial.

Information from the student

The young person may describe:

• The type of job they want
• Their previous work experience
• What they found difficult
• What helped
• Whether they want part-time work
• What concerns them about a traineeship
• Their transport skills
• What they hope to achieve before leaving school

This information may be provided verbally, in writing or using an accessible communication format.

School information

Relevant school information could include:

• Transition planning documents
• Work-experience feedback
• Careers discussions
• Records of adjustments
• Functional observations
• Attendance or fatigue considerations
• Communication strategies
• Travel skills
• Evidence of strengths
• The school’s existing support
• Areas outside the school’s responsibility

The purpose is not to ask the school to recommend a funding amount. It is to describe what has happened and where additional disability-related support may be required.

Employer or work-experience feedback

An employer may provide practical observations such as:

• Tasks completed successfully
• Level of prompting required
• Communication strengths
• Difficulty managing changes
• Ability to follow procedures
• Workplace stamina
• Response to feedback
• Suitable duties
• Strategies that improved performance

Specific feedback is generally more useful than a statement that the student “needs support”.

Allied health evidence where relevant

An occupational therapist, psychologist, speech pathologist or other appropriately qualified professional may provide information about:

• Functional capacity
• Communication needs
• Sensory needs
• Executive functioning
• Emotional regulation
• Workplace adjustments
• Travel capacity
• Fatigue
• Environmental suitability
• Effective support strategies

Not every employment request requires every type of professional report. Families should ask their my NDIS contact what information is relevant to the participant’s circumstances before paying for unnecessary assessments.

A proposed employment support plan

A prospective provider may be able to explain:

• The participant’s employment goal
• Current barriers
• Proposed activities
• Frequency of support
• Where support will occur
• Expected outcomes
• Review points
• How duplication will be prevented
• How support may change after school

The provider cannot guarantee that funding will be approved, but a clear proposal can help the family understand what it is requesting.

How to Avoid Duplicating School and NDIS Supports

Duplication can waste funding and create confusion for the student.

It may occur when:

• The school and NDIS provider both deliver the same resume workshop
• Two organisations separately arrange similar work experience
• The NDIS provider charges for attending a class that the school already supports
• The employer and provider both assume the other is teaching the task
• The traineeship provider and NDIS coach use conflicting strategies
• No one knows who is responsible for travel training
• Reports repeat information without adding practical value

Create a written responsibility map

Record each party’s responsibilities.

For example:

School

• Curriculum-based work experience
• Careers education
• Educational adjustments
• School attendance and learning

Employer

• Induction
• Standard task training
• Supervision
• Wages
• Workplace safety
• Reasonable adjustments

Traineeship provider

• Course teaching
• Assessment
• Qualification requirements
• Education-related adjustments

Next Gen Youth Employment or another NDIS provider

• Additional disability-related employment coaching
• Extra work experience outside the curriculum
• Workplace communication strategies
• Travel training connected to employment
• Support with disability-related barriers
• Individual employment planning

Agree on communication

With the participant’s consent, decide:

• Who may share information
• Who contacts the employer
• How concerns are escalated
• How progress is recorded
• Who attends review meetings
• How the student’s privacy is protected

The young person should not have to repeat the same information to multiple organisations without a clear reason.

Ask for measurable goals

Each NDIS-funded activity should have an outcome.

Instead of:

“Attend employment sessions.”

use:

“Learn to identify the correct bus stop and travel to the workplace with no more than one verbal prompt.”

Instead of:

“Improve communication.”

use:

“Ask the supervisor for clarification when an instruction is not understood.”

Specific goals make it easier to see whether the support is adding value beyond school activities.

Review overlap regularly

Responsibilities may change when:

• The student starts a job
• A traineeship begins
• School work experience ends
• The participant leaves school
• The employer introduces new duties
• The participant becomes more independent
• The NDIS plan changes

A support arrangement that was appropriate at the beginning of Year 12 may need to be updated six months later.

Should SLES Support Continue After the Student Leaves School?

Early employment assistance does not necessarily need to end on the student’s final day.

The transition out of school may create new support needs because:

• The school routine has ended
• More time is available for employment activities
• The participant is ready for longer work experience
• Travel requirements have changed
• A part-time role may increase in hours
• New vocational goals have emerged
• The participant needs help moving from preparation into paid employment
• A traineeship continues after school completion
• The young person needs ongoing job-maintenance support

Whether SLES funding continues depends on the participant’s plan, progress, goals and ongoing disability-related needs.

At a plan reassessment, an employment provider’s report should describe the participant’s work goal, supports delivered, progress, skills still to be developed and the proposed pathway forward.

Useful evidence of progress

Progress may include:

• Completing extra work experience
• Learning a transport route
• Obtaining a part-time job
• Maintaining a traineeship
• Increasing shift length
• Reducing prompts
• Improving communication
• Identifying suitable industries
• Completing applications
• Attending interviews
• Developing workplace routines
• Receiving positive employer feedback

A participant does not need to have secured full-time employment for support to have produced value.

The report should also explain what remains to be done.

For example:

• Develop greater independence with travel
• Build stamina for longer shifts
• Complete work experience in a second industry
• Learn to manage roster changes
• Apply for suitable paid roles
• Maintain current employment
• Improve communication with supervisors

At Next Gen Youth Employment, we track employment development so the participant, family and NDIS contact can understand both achievements and next steps.

Understanding SLES Funding and Finding and Keeping a Job

Employment funding may appear under the NDIS capacity-building category associated with Finding and Keeping a Job.

People may search for:

• NDIS Finding and Keeping a Job funding
• SLES funding NDIS
• NDIS SLES funding
• Funding for school leaver employment support

The presence of employment goals does not automatically mean that every related activity can be charged to the plan. The participant needs appropriate funding, and the service must meet current NDIS requirements.

Families should check:

• What employment funding is included
• Whether it is plan-managed, self-managed or NDIA-managed
• The plan dates
• Which supports are stated
• Whether sufficient funding remains
• What price the provider proposes
• Whether travel or non-face-to-face work will be charged
• How support will be scheduled around school
• How the budget may be used after graduation

What about the SLES price?

There is not one universal SLES price for every student or program.

Charges depend on:

• The applicable support item
• Individual or group delivery
• Frequency
• Location
• Provider travel
• Non-face-to-face work
• On-site support
• Reporting
• The participant’s service agreement

Families searching for an NDIS Finding and Keeping a Job price guide should review the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and ask the provider which support item and rate will be used.

The NDIS pricing arrangements provide guidance on maximum prices, while participants and providers may negotiate an appropriate price. Pricing changes must be agreed before they are made. The current pricing schedule took effect on 1 July 2026.

Before signing a service agreement, ask:

• What will each session cost?
• Is provider travel charged?
• Are kilometres charged?
• Will employer engagement be invoiced?
• Is report writing charged separately?
• What happens during school holidays?
• Can the schedule change during exams?
• How will the provider monitor funding?
• How often will statements be supplied?
• How will the service change after school ends?

Choosing NDIS SLES Providers Before Graduation

Families often begin by searching SLES providers near me, but the closest provider is not automatically the best match.

When comparing SLES providers, look at:

• Employment specialisation
• Experience supporting school students
• Ability to work around school hours
• Individual coaching options
• Employer relationships
• Work-experience opportunities
• Travel-training capacity
• Experience with traineeships
• Communication with families and schools
• Progress reporting
• Budget transparency
• Participant choice
• Provider capacity after graduation

Current NDIS guidance directs participants with employment funding to connect with a suitable provider. A my NDIS contact or support coordinator can also help identify providers, and the NDIS offers provider-search and comparison resources.

Questions to ask NDIS SLES providers

When interviewing NDIS SLES providers, ask:

1. Can support begin while the participant is still at school?
2. How will sessions fit around school, homework and exams?
3. What support will be individual?
4. How will you work with the school without duplicating services?
5. Can you support a part-time job outside school hours?
6. Do you arrange extra work experience?
7. How do you support school-based traineeships?
8. How do you separate employer responsibilities from NDIS support?
9. Will the participant have a consistent youth coach?
10. How will employment goals be measured?
11. How do you involve the young person in decisions?
12. What industries do you work with?
13. How do you communicate with employers?
14. How will support change after graduation?
15. How are prices, travel and reporting charged?

Finding and Keeping a Job providers should offer more than classroom activities

Some Finding and Keeping a Job providers rely heavily on generic group sessions and worksheets.

Group learning can be useful, but families should ask how the program will also provide:

• Individual goal-setting
• Practical experience
• Real employer engagement
• Industry exploration
• Workplace coaching
• Feedback from actual work environments
• A pathway towards paid employment

Next Gen Youth Employment specialises in helping young people move from the classroom towards a career. Our service is centred on School Leaver Employment Supports rather than treating youth employment as an unrelated add-on.

How Next Gen Youth Employment Can Help Before School Ends

Next Gen Youth Employment supports young people to begin building an employment pathway at the stage that is appropriate for them.

We recognise that two students in the same year level may need very different support.

One participant may be ready to apply for a weekend job. Another may need gradual industry exploration. A third may already have a school-based traineeship but require additional assistance to maintain it.

Our approach can include:

Individual career exploration

We help the participant consider:

• Interests
• Strengths
• Preferred tasks
• Workplace environment
• Sensory needs
• Communication style
• Transport
• Availability
• Previous experience
• Support needs

Personalised coaching

A Next Gen Youth Employment coach can help turn a broad goal into practical steps.

For example:

1. Explore two industries
2. Visit suitable workplaces
3. Develop a basic resume
4. Practise travelling to a workplace
5. Complete extra work experience
6. Review employer feedback
7. Apply for a suitable part-time role
8. Build independence after starting

Practical work preparation

Support may address:

• Workplace communication
• Time management
• Following instructions
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving
• Interview skills
• Travel readiness
• Employer expectations
• Responding to feedback
• Workplace routines

Real-world employment exposure

Where appropriate, we help participants move beyond theory and gain practical insight into different workplaces.

This allows the young person to discover:

• What they enjoy
• Which tasks suit them
• What support helps
• Which environments are challenging
• What skills need further development
• What a realistic next employment step looks like

Coordination around school and other services

With appropriate consent, we can work alongside families, support coordinators, schools, employers and training providers to clarify responsibilities and reduce unnecessary overlap.

The purpose is not to replace education. It is to provide targeted employment support that addresses the young person’s disability-related needs and prepares them for life beyond school.

Pre-School-Leaver Employment Planning Checklist

Use this checklist before discussing early employment support.

Employment direction

• Does the student want to work?
• What jobs or industries interest them?
• Do they want work experience, a part-time job or a traineeship?
• What tasks do they enjoy?
• What environments suit them?
• What would success look like before school ends?

Current experience

• Has the school provided work experience?
• What did the student learn from it?
• Has the student volunteered?
• Have they applied for a job?
• Do they already have part-time employment?
• Have they been offered a traineeship?
• What employer feedback is available?

Disability-related barriers

• Does the student need help with travel?
• Can they follow multi-step instructions?
• How do they manage changes?
• Can they communicate with supervisors?
• Do they need visual prompts?
• Can they remain on task?
• Are there sensory barriers?
• How does fatigue affect them?
• Do they need support organising shifts?

Existing responsibilities

• What employment support does the school provide?
• What is included in the curriculum?
• What adjustments are already available?
• What must the employer provide?
• What must the traineeship provider deliver?
• Is the proposed NDIS service additional rather than duplicated?

NDIS planning

• Is employment included in the participant’s goals?
• Is employment funding included in the plan?
• When is the next reassessment?
• Has the my NDIS contact been informed about the upcoming transition?
• Is further evidence required?
• Has the support coordinator reviewed available options?
• Has a proposed provider explained its service and pricing?

Provider selection

• Does the provider specialise in youth employment?
• Can it work around school hours?
• Does it offer individual coaching?
• Can it arrange practical work exposure?
• Does it have relevant employer connections?
• Can it support an existing job or traineeship?
• How will progress be reported?
• How will the provider avoid duplication?
• What happens after graduation?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can SLES begin in Year 11?

Employment assistance may be considered for a student of working age who has an employment goal and needs extra disability-related support. Whether funding is available will depend on the participant’s plan, circumstances and current NDIS requirements.

The student does not automatically need to be out of school, but the service must not replace the school’s ordinary responsibilities.

Can SLES begin during Year 12?

Potentially, yes. Current NDIS guidance discusses additional work experience, part-time employment and school-based traineeship support while a young person is still attending school.

Is every final-year student eligible for SLES?

No. Final-year status alone does not establish SLES eligibility.

The young person generally needs to be an NDIS participant with an employment goal, disability-related employment barriers and appropriate employment funding in their plan. Any funded support must meet current NDIS requirements.

Does the school apply for SLES funding?

NDIS funding belongs to the participant’s plan. The school can provide useful information and participate in transition planning, but funding decisions are made through the NDIS planning process.

Can the NDIS pay for school work experience?

The school is responsible for work experience delivered as part of its curriculum. The NDIS may consider extra disability-related support required to participate or additional work experience outside the curriculum.

Can SLES help a student get a weekend job?

Employment assistance may help a participant develop the skills required to find and maintain a job outside school hours. This could involve resume support, interview practice, travel training, workplace communication and help settling into the role.

No ethical provider should guarantee that an employer will offer a job.

Can SLES support an existing part-time job?

Potentially. Extra disability-related support may help the participant remain on task, manage routines, communicate with supervisors and become more independent.

The employer remains responsible for ordinary workplace training, supervision, safety and reasonable adjustments.

Can NDIS funding support a school-based traineeship?

The NDIS may consider additional disability-related support needed to help the participant maintain employment and complete the traineeship.

It does not fund services that are the responsibility of the school, employer or traineeship provider.

Can SLES pay the trainee’s wages?

No. NDIS funding is not a replacement for income. Wages and employment entitlements are employer responsibilities.

Can SLES pay for the traineeship qualification?

Formal training delivery, tuition and assessment are generally education or training-provider responsibilities rather than SLES services.

Disability-related assistance to access and complete the pathway may be considered separately.

What is Finding and Keeping a Job funding?

Finding and Keeping a Job is broader NDIS employment terminology covering assistance that may help a participant prepare for, obtain or maintain employment.

SLES is commonly associated with school leavers and the school-to-work transition.

What evidence helps demonstrate SLES funding eligibility?

Useful evidence may explain:

• The participant’s employment goal
• Disability-related barriers
• Previous work experience
• Support already provided by the school
• Additional support required
• Effective strategies
• Expected outcomes
• How duplication will be prevented

Ask the participant’s my NDIS contact what information is required for their individual circumstances.

Can support continue after Year 12?

It may continue where the participant has appropriate employment funding and ongoing disability-related support needs.

The type and frequency of assistance may change after graduation. Progress reports should identify what has been achieved, which skills still need development and the proposed next steps.

How do I find a provider?

You can search the NDIS provider finder, ask a support coordinator or my NDIS contact, and meet potential providers before entering a service agreement.

When searching SLES providers near me, compare personalisation, employer engagement, capacity, reporting and real workplace opportunities rather than choosing by location alone.

Can Next Gen Youth Employment help us get started?

Yes. Next Gen Youth Employment can discuss the young person’s goals, school situation, previous work experience and disability-related support needs.

We can explain our program, help families identify useful questions and discuss what a coordinated transition may look like. We cannot approve funding or guarantee an NDIS decision, but we can help you understand the practical employment pathway.

Do Not Wait Until the Last Day of School to Start Talking About Work

A young person does not need to have their entire career planned before they leave school.

They do need opportunities to explore.

For some students, that may mean:

• Visiting workplaces
• Trying extra work experience
• Learning public transport
• Practising interviews
• Building workplace communication
• Starting a weekend job
• Receiving support during a traineeship
• Developing a clear post-school employment plan

Early support should not duplicate education or place unnecessary pressure on the student. It should fill the disability-related gaps between what the school provides and what the young person needs to participate successfully in employment.

The most effective pathway is usually coordinated.

The student, family, school, employer, traineeship provider, NDIS contact and employment provider should understand:

• What the young person wants
• What each organisation will provide
• Which barriers need additional support
• How progress will be measured
• What will change after graduation

Talk to Next Gen Youth Employment About Starting Before School Ends

Is your child still at school but interested in work, additional work experience or a school-based traineeship?

Next Gen Youth Employment can help your family explore the next steps.

Our team can discuss:

• The young person’s employment interests
• Part-time job preparation
• Additional work-experience opportunities
• Travel and workplace skill development
• School-based traineeship support
• Existing school and employer responsibilities
• Disability-related barriers
• Current NDIS employment goals
• The information families may prepare
• How support could transition after Year 12

Contact Next Gen Youth Employment today for more information and assistance.

Starting employment preparation before school ends does not mean rushing the young person. With personalised goals, coordinated support and practical experience, it can give them more time to build confidence and move towards meaningful work at a pace that suits them.