If you are a year 12 student with a disability who will soon be moving from school to employment, BlueSky Mind Studio are here to help you with our NDIS funded Stepping Out program. We know that finishing school and transitioning into the workforce can be both exciting and intimidating and we are ready to support you the whole way.
The BlueSky Mind Studio’s Stepping Out program can support you for up to two years, starting in your final months of schooling to assist in the transition from the classroom to employment. We will work collaboratively with your existing supports, and can provide regular updates to your Support Coordinator, Local Area Coordinator, the NDIS and therapists. The Stepping Out program is delivered as a mix of one-on-one sessions and small group activities in order to provide tailored support and interactive learning experiences.
Your support will be tailored to your individual needs, goals and circumstances, and can include:
Career Counselling
Understand your work potential and determine employment areas of interest
Career Discovery
Gain knowledge of local industries and employers, and what jobs you might enjoy
Skills Development
Develop vocational and non-vocational skills for life and work to support living independently
Interview Preparation
Get help writing an industry specific resume and cover letter, and practice interview role plays
School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) are an NDIS plan item for participants who have recently left school or who are currently completing their final year of school. SLES will help you to understand your work potential, explore your career goals, and gain the skills and confidence to join the workforce.
If you do not meet the requirements for SLES we may still be able to help you through our Finding and Keeping a Job program.
The School Leavers Employment Supports (SLES) program and the Disability Employment Program (DES) both provide assistance to people with disability to find work. The key difference between the two programs is how ready participants are to start working.
SLES services are available to provide more in depth support for participants with the potential for employment, but who are not yet ready to start actively looking for work. SLES can only be provided to participants with inclusions in their NDIS plan for this service.
After two years of support in the SLES program most participants will transition into Disability Employment Services (DES) to receive ongoing employment support. When the time is right for you to move from SLES to DES we partner with DES providers such as Status to provide a smooth transition.
To be eligible for SLES, participants must first be eligible to receive an NDIS plan. During the application process for an NDIS plan (or during the review period), you may choose to apply for SLES using the Finding and Keeping a Job (FAKAJ) funding line.
For approval to take place, this means you must establish eligibility by submitting evidence in the form of a Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA), which is usually facilitated by your school.