NDIS Employment Supports: A Practical Guide for Participants

If you want to find work, keep a job, or build skills that lead to employment, the NDIS can fund supports to help you get there. Employment supports are not automatic - they need to be linked to your goals and written into your plan - but once they are in place, they open the door to a range of funded services, from job coaching and workplace modifications to supported employment programmes. This guide explains what is available, how the money works, who delivers these supports, and what to look for when choosing a provider in Australia.

What are NDIS employment supports?

NDIS employment supports are funded services that help participants with disability prepare for, find, and maintain paid or voluntary work. They sit under the broad goal area of "finding and keeping a job" and can be funded in a few different ways depending on your circumstances.

The term covers a wide range of activities, including:

• Career exploration and goal setting
• Work readiness training (writing a resume, interview practice, workplace communication)
• Job coaching - working alongside you on the job to build skills and confidence
• Support to disclose your disability to an employer
• Travel training to and from work
• Supported employment in Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs)
• School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) for young people transitioning from school

It is important to understand that NDIS employment supports are separate from the Disability Employment Services (DES) programme, which is funded by the Australian Government's Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and delivered at no cost to you. The NDIS and DES can work together, but they are different systems with different rules.

Who pays for employment supports - the NDIS or somewhere else?

This is one of the most common questions participants and families ask, and the answer depends on which type of support you need.

Disability Employment Services (DES) - no NDIS funding needed

DES is a free, federally funded programme that helps people with disability, injury or health conditions find and keep work. If you are eligible for DES, the government pays the provider directly. You do not need NDIS funding to access DES, and using DES does not reduce your NDIS plan budget.

Supports the NDIS does fund

The NDIS funds employment-related supports that go beyond what DES provides - particularly supports that are tied to your disability-specific needs rather than general job-seeking assistance. These can include:

• School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES): A dedicated funding line for young people in their first two years after finishing school. SLES replaces day programme funding during that transition period and is focused entirely on building work-related skills.
• Supported employment (Australian Disability Enterprises): If you work in an ADE, the NDIS may fund additional supports within that workplace.
• Workplace modifications and assistive technology: Equipment or adjustments that help you perform your job.
• Capacity building supports: Funding in the Capacity Building - Finding and Keeping a Job budget category that pays for coaching, training, or other services to help you move toward employment goals.

The NDIS uses what is called a "reasonable and necessary" test. A support must be directly related to your disability, help you pursue your goals, and not be something another system (like DES or the education system) is responsible for funding. Your planner or support coordinator can help you work through what fits your situation.

If you are working with a support coordinator, the support coordinator workspace on OpenWay can help you find and compare employment support providers across Australia quickly, so you spend less time on admin and more time supporting participants.

What does "School Leaver Employment Supports" mean?

SLES deserves its own section because it is often misunderstood - and because getting it right can make a real difference for young people and their families.

SLES is a time-limited package of support available to young people with NDIS plans who have recently left school (typically within the last two years, though there is some flexibility). It is designed to replace the "day programme" or "post-school options" funding that might otherwise sit in a plan, and focus that money specifically on building work-readiness.

SLES might include:

• Work experience placements
• Travel training to get to and from a workplace independently
• Life skills that support employment (time management, workplace behaviour, money handling)
• Vocational assessments
• Supported volunteering

SLES is not the same as supported employment. It is a stepping stone - a structured way to build confidence and skills before moving into a real job or a supported employment setting.

Families often find SLES confusing because it appears in plans under a different line item than standard employment supports. If your young person is approaching the end of school, ask your planner or LAC specifically about SLES and make sure it is included in the next plan before they finish Year 12.

How to choose an employment support provider

Choosing the right provider can make or break your employment journey. A good employment support provider will take time to understand what you actually want from work - not just tick boxes or push you toward whatever role is easiest to fill.

Here is a practical checklist to use when you are shortlisting providers:

1. Are they registered with the NDIS Commission? If your plan is agency-managed, you must use a registered provider. If you are plan-managed or self-managed, you have more flexibility, but registration is still a good signal of accountability. You can check a provider's registration status on the NDIS Commission website.
2. Do they specialise in your type of support? Some providers focus on SLES, others on supported employment in ADEs, others on open employment coaching. Make sure their specialisation matches your goal.
3. Do they understand your disability? Ask how they have supported people with similar needs. A provider experienced in supporting autistic participants, for example, may approach job coaching very differently from one focused on physical disability.
4. What does their process look like? A good provider should be able to explain clearly what happens in the first few weeks, how they measure progress, and what they do when things are not working.
5. Can they work with your DES provider? If you are also using DES, your NDIS employment support provider and your DES provider need to work together without duplicating services. Ask how they handle that coordination.
6. Do they involve you in decisions? Employment goals are personal. A provider who listens and adjusts their approach based on your preferences is far more likely to help you succeed than one who applies a one-size-fits-all programme.
7. What happens if the placement does not work out? Not every job is the right fit. Ask how the provider responds when something goes wrong and what support they offer during that period.

You can browse NDIS employment support providers across Australia on OpenWay to compare options, read profiles, and send enquiries - all in one place, at no cost to participants.

Red flags to watch for

Not every provider delivers what they promise. Here are some warning signs to take seriously:

• Pressure to sign a service agreement quickly. A good provider gives you time to read, ask questions, and make a considered decision. Rushing you is a red flag.
• Vague answers about what they actually do. If a provider cannot explain their process clearly, that is a problem. You should know what you are getting before you sign anything.
• No interest in your actual goals. If the intake conversation is mostly about your funding and not about what you want from work, that tells you something about their priorities.
• Claiming they can guarantee employment outcomes. No provider can guarantee you a job. Anyone who says otherwise is either overpromising or not being straight with you.
• Billing for sessions that did not happen. Unfortunately, fraud and poor practice do exist in the disability sector. Keep your own records of what support you received and when. If something looks wrong on your plan statement, raise it with your plan manager or the NDIS Commission.
• No written service agreement. Every provider must give you a written service agreement that sets out what they will deliver, at what price, and under what cancellation terms. If they resist putting things in writing, walk away.

OpenWay's trust and safety information explains how provider profiles on the marketplace are handled and what steps are taken to support safe, informed choices.

What to include in your NDIS plan goals

Employment supports only get funded if your plan includes a goal related to work. Goals do not need to be complicated, but they do need to be specific enough to justify the funding.

Examples of employment-related goals that work well in plans:

• "I want to find part-time paid work in a field I enjoy within the next 12 months."
• "I want to build the skills I need to travel to work independently."
• "I want to try different types of work during my SLES period to find out what suits me."
• "I want to stay in my current job and learn strategies to manage [specific challenge] at work."

Vague goals like "I want to get a job someday" are harder to fund against. Work with your support coordinator, LAC or planner to make your goals specific and measurable. If you are preparing for a plan review, write down what you have tried, what worked, what did not, and what you want to do next. That evidence helps planners understand what level of support is reasonable and necessary.

Frequently asked

Can I use both DES and NDIS employment supports at the same time?

Yes, in many cases you can. DES and NDIS employment supports are designed to complement each other rather than replace one another. DES focuses on helping you find and keep a job in the open labour market. NDIS employment supports can fund disability-specific capacity building, workplace modifications, or supported employment that DES does not cover. The key is making sure the two providers are not billing for the same activities. Your support coordinator can help manage that coordination.

What if I want to work but my NDIS plan does not include employment goals?

You can request a plan review or variation and ask for employment-related goals to be added. Bring evidence of what you want to achieve and why employment support is reasonable and necessary given your disability. If your plan is managed by a support coordinator, ask them to help you prepare for the review. If you do not have a support coordinator, your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) can assist.

Is supported employment in an Australian Disability Enterprise the right choice for everyone?

Not necessarily. ADEs provide structured employment for people who need ongoing support to work, and they can be a great fit for some participants. But open employment - working in a mainstream workplace with the right support - is the goal for many people, and it is worth exploring both options before deciding. Talk to an employment support provider about what open employment with job coaching might look like for you before assuming an ADE is the only path.

How OpenWay can help

Finding the right employment support provider takes time, especially when you are also navigating everything else that comes with an NDIS plan. OpenWay is a free marketplace for NDIS participants and families that lets you search, compare and contact disability service providers across Australia - including those specialising in employment supports, SLES, and supported employment.

You can explore employment support providers on OpenWay, filter by location and support type, read provider profiles, and send enquiries directly - all without any cost to you as a participant or family member.

If you are a support coordinator looking to shortlist employment providers for multiple participants, the OpenWay coordinator tools are designed to make that process faster and easier.

OpenWay is not part of the NDIS, NDIA or NDIS Commission. Final scope, pricing, travel, cancellation rules and non-face-to-face charges must be confirmed in a written service agreement between the participant (or their authorised support person) and the provider.