Ever wondered if our services extend to help school leavers living with a disability find employment? The good news is, they do! WISE Employment offers School Leavers Employment Supports (SLES) for eligible NDIS customers in South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland.
Keep reading to find out more about SLES, eligibility and advice for students on how to access the support.
What is the School Leavers Employment Supports (SLES) program?
The SLES program offers school leavers individualised support to gain the skills and confidence needed to find and maintain employment. Working with your WISE SLES consultants, you will work to identify your strengths and growth areas. Together, you will create a plan to achieve your employment goals.
SLES plans can include:
- Work and volunteering experience
- Building capacity and life skills
- Enrolling in further study or TAFE courses
- Counselling
- Developing resumes and employment plans
- Interview training
- Support with new routines
- Group skills
After completing the two-year program, customers will have gained the skills and confidence they need to find and maintain employment, along with assistance integrating to Disability Employment Services (DES).
Eligibility
To be eligible for SLES, you need to have:
- School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) as part of your NDIS plan, and
- be between the ages of 15 and 24 years old.
School Leaver Employment Supports can help you transition to employment.
WISE Employment currently offers SLES in:
- Tasmania
- Melbourne
- Bendigo
- Queensland (Sunshine Coast)
- Sydney
- Adelaide
We can potentially support SLES participants outside of these areas remotely.
If you are not eligible for School Leaver Employment Supports, but still need assistance preparing for work, finding work and maintaining work, we may be able to assist you through other funding in your NDIS plan.
Advice for school leavers
Leaving high school with a firm career path is a challenge for many school leavers. The best way to plan for a long-lasting career is to build the right skills and improve your confidence. SLES provides school leavers the opportunity to learn about their strengths along with finding work environments which work for them.
Our Victoria NDIS Program Manager, Lily, believes SLES gives students the perfect environment to discover their strengths and passions along with building up confidence.
“SLES allows you to explore options and work towards figuring out what you want to do… Just give everything a go and find out what you’re passionate about.”
Her advice: confidence is key.
“It’s all about building confidence. Your skills will get better with time.”
For Deborah, NDIS Manager in Tasmania, SLES is all about empowering customers to take control of their goals.
“It’s about helping people work towards their goals. We give them choice and control over what they want to do and support them through it.”
Find out more about School Leavers Employment Supports.
Register for NDIS-funded School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)
Contact the NDIS at WISE team during business hours on: 1800 571 172
Email the NDIS at WISE team about School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)