Getting a job

Who is this guide for?
Why should you think about getting a job?
Who can you talk to about getting a job?
What support options are available for getting a job?
How can the NDIS support you in getting a job?
Finding the right service provider
Where else can you go for more informartion?
References
Disclaimer

Who is this guide for?

This guide has information for people who are ready to start working.

The information is for:

people on the autism spectrum
people with an intellectual disability
people with a psychosocial disability

Other people may also find the information helpful.

Download this Guide in East Read format:

Getting a job has lots of benefits, such as:

meeting new people and making friends
having your own money to buy things you need and want
becoming more independent
learning new skills
helping you feel more positive about your life

You can talk with your parents, carers, friends and other people you know about what kind of job you might like or be good at.

Together, you can:

Think about things you are good at
Think about things you like
Think about things that you don't like
Think about different jobs you might like and jobs that sit your skills and abilities
Think about what jobs might be good for you
See what training you need to get the job you want

You can also:

Talk to people you know in the community, like a coach, community leader or family friends. They can help you get work experience or find a job.
Talk to a career guidance or counselling professional about getting a job. You can talk about your skills and interests and match these to different types of jobs. Career guidance can help you see if you need to learn new skills to reach your work goals.
Talk to your LAC, Support Coordinator or planner about supports that might help you reach your goals

Below is a list of options that can help you get a job. You might try some different options before you find one that works for you. Your supports might combine two or more of the options listed below.

Getting ready to get a job

You can:

Decide what new skills you might need to help you get a job
Think about how you will get to a job
Get experience in different workplaces to see what interests you
Look for Individualised Placement Supports
Find a provider that offers customised employment
Practice your interview skills

Think about:

Where you want to work?
How you can get to work?
Do you want to work full-time or part-time?
Do you need any supports at work to help you? This can be things like screen reading software, support for personal care or interpreting at work?
If you need supports at work, how can they be included in your work day? If you need help talking with your employer about supports at work, you could talk first with your family, friends, LAC, or support coordinator if you have one.

How these supports can help:

Building new skills can help you live more independently. These skills can also help you at work.New skills might be catching public transport or getting your driver’s licence. New skills could also be managing money, communicating with colleagues, keeping on time, teamwork and controlling emotions. Participants have told us building new skills helped them get a job, keep that job or move on to a new job. Research suggests the best way to develop new skills is with on the job training.
Work experience is a good way to learn more about a job you are interested in. Work experience can build your confidence, skills and contacts for future job searches.
Apprenticeships/traineeships can give you both training and paid employment in a field you are interested in. These are usually long-term (2-4 year) commitments.
Work placements are paid work while you are studying
Vocational programs are usually a combination of two or more supports including: career guidance, skills development, work experience and/or work placements.
Individualised Placement Supports (IPS) can help you look for a job and stay in work. IPS may have different names. IPS usually includes mental health support and support to build your skills so you can get a job. IPS is most often used for people with psychosocial disability.
Customised employment includes working with a provider to understand your skills and interests. The provider can help change a job so it matches your skills and interests. They also provide ongoing support for you and your workplace. This is very helpful for people with an intellectual disability.
Cognitive behavioural therapy can help build relationship skills. It can also help you cope with anxiety in social settings. This therapy can be helpful for people with psychosocial disability when it is combined with traditional vocational programs.
Interview practice is offered by some providers. While you might find interview practice useful, we don’t know if it helps you get a job. Interview practice may build your confidence speaking with people you don’t know. It can also help you explain what you can do and why you are keen to work. Interview practice is sometimes called:
- Virtual reality job interview training
- Vocational empowerment photovoice (an approach that uses photographs and written text to increase confidence of people seeking work)

Talk to your NDIA planner, LAC or support coordinator about:

Developing and using your plan to reach your work goals
Accessing supports in the community.

Ask them questions like:

How do I plan and set goals for the job I want?
What supports and services are available for me to:
- build new skills?
- help me find the job I want?
- What have other people like me found useful?

NDIS resources

Read and complete tasks in the Let’s talk about work booklet
Read Our Guideline - Work and Study
Visit our supports in employment webpage
Watch our stories and videos about employment
Understand the evidence on employment supports

We have a list of providers you can search on the Provider Finder webpage .

Choose a provider who:

Listens to you and treats you as an individual
Asks you about your skills and interests
Offers to arrange work experience and/or on the job workplace training in a job that interests you
Provides you with opportunities to build your work skills and work capacity
Has skilled staff with expertise in placing young people in work
Gives you information about their successes helping young people get and keep a job

The ‘Let’s talk about work booklet’ suggests some questions to ask:

What supports would you recommend based on the employment skills I need to develop?
Do you provide one-on-one or group support?
What qualifications do your staff have?
What types of businesses or companies have you placed people in and what type of jobs are they doing?
Will you arrange work experience for me in a job I am interested in?
How many participants have you helped to get a job?
How long do most of your participants stay in a job?

Disability Gateway has information and services for people with disability, including:

links to state-based services
employment training
finding and keeping a job
employment rights

Disability Employment Services work with people with disability to find work and keep a job. They also help employers support employees with disability.

Everyone Can Work has information for people with intellectual disability and their families about supports to help them find open employment.

You can talk to your LAC, Support Coordinator or Planner about access to these supports.

Kavanagh A, Brown D, Dickinson H, Mallett S, Marck C, Weld-Blundell I. (2021). Evidence review: Strategies to increase employment and economic participation for people with a cognitive disability. The University of Melbourne.
National Disability Insurance Agency 2021. Achieving a ‘sense of purpose’: pathways to employment for NDIS participants with intellectual disability, on the autism spectrum and with psychosocial disability. Australia. Prepared by L Smith, A Ames, M Bennett, R Morello.
Wilson, E. & Campain, R. (2020). Fostering employment for people with intellectual disability: the evidence to date , Hawthorn, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology.

Disclaimer

This guide can help you understand which supports you could use to help you pursue your work goals. It does not mean a support will be added to your plan. It does not mean a support will be funded by the NDIS. Some of these supports are provided outside the NDIS. All supports in your plan must meet our reasonable and necessary standards. This includes being value for money. If you read this guide, you should also read work and study supports .

Getting a job

On this page

Who is this guide for?

Getting ready to get a job

NDIS resources