Learn how your NDIS plan may support employment goals, skill development, confidence and practical pathways towards work.
Having an NDIS plan can open opportunities to develop skills, explore employment options and work towards greater independence.
But understanding how your funding can support employment isn't always straightforward.
You might want to find your first job, return to work, explore self-employment or simply develop the skills needed to consider employment in the future.
The important thing to understand is that you don't necessarily need to be ready for a job before you start working towards one.
Depending on your individual plan, the NDIS may fund disability-related supports to help you develop employment skills, gain practical experience, find suitable work or maintain employment.
So, where do you begin?
Step 1: Understand What Employment Supports Are Available
The NDIS provides different types of employment-related support depending on your goals, circumstances and disability-related needs.
Two important funding areas to understand are Finding and Keeping a Job and Supports in Employment.
Finding and Keeping a Job
Finding and Keeping a Job is designed to help eligible participants develop employment skills and work towards finding or maintaining employment.
Depending on your plan, supports may help you:
Develop practical workplace skills.
Explore different employment opportunities.
Build communication and time-management skills.
Participate in supported work experience.
Develop employment-related skills.
Prepare for the transition into employment.
These types of supports can be particularly relevant if you need additional disability-related assistance to prepare for work.
Supports in Employment
If you're already working, your NDIS plan may include disability-related support within your workplace.
This might include:
On-the-job coaching.
Training and mentoring.
Support learning workplace tasks.
Assistance developing greater independence at work.
Disability-related personal care while at work.
Support can be provided in different workplace settings and may be delivered individually or in a group, depending on your needs.
The important distinction is that some supports help you prepare for employment, while others provide the additional disability-related assistance you need while working.
What is available will depend on your individual NDIS plan and circumstances.
Step 2: Think About Your Employment Goals
Before exploring providers or programs, consider what you would actually like to achieve.
An employment goal doesn't have to mean finding a full-time job immediately.
You might want to:
Discover what type of work suits your interests.
Learn to use workplace technology.
Develop confidence communicating with customers.
Gain practical experience in a particular industry.
Explore flexible or supported employment.
Learn the skills involved in running a small business.
Develop greater independence in a workplace.
Your goals should reflect what matters to you.
What If You Don't Know What Work You Want?
That's okay.
You don't need to have your entire career mapped out before you start developing employment skills.
Discovering your strengths, interests, and suitable work environments can be part of the process.
For example, you might enjoy working with animals but have never considered pet care as a possible employment pathway.
Or perhaps you enjoy using computers but aren't sure what types of digital work might suit you.
Exploring those interests can help you identify possible directions before committing to a particular employment goal.
Step 3: Identify the Skills and Support You Need
Once you've considered your goals, the next step is understanding what might help you work towards them.
For some participants, this could involve developing practical workplace skills.
For others, it might mean developing greater independence with everyday activities that can support employment.
Communication
Learning how to communicate with customers and colleagues, ask questions, follow instructions and manage different workplace situations.
Digital Skills
Developing confidence using computers, email, online systems and other workplace technology.
Time Management
Learning how to organise tasks, follow schedules, manage responsibilities and arrive at work on time.
Workplace Expectations
Understanding teamwork, reliability, professional behaviour, communication and workplace responsibilities.
Practical Experience
Trying different activities or workplace tasks can help you discover your strengths, interests and the type of environment that may suit you.
Independent Travel
Developing the skills needed to travel safely and independently can also be an important part of preparing for employment.
The support you need will be individual to you. Someone else's employment pathway doesn't need to look like yours.
Step 4: Talk About Employment During Your NDIS Planning Conversations
Your NDIS planning conversations are an opportunity to discuss what you would like to achieve and the disability-related support you may need.
You don't have to prepare everything on your own.
Your support coordinator or my NDIS contact may be able to help you identify your goals and understand the supports available.
Before your meeting, think about:
What type of work interests me?
What skills do I already have?
What would I like to learn?
What challenges might I experience in a workplace?
Have I tried work experience or volunteering?
What support would help me become more independent?
Would I prefer employment, self-employment or exploring different options?
It can also be helpful to bring relevant assessments, reports or information about previous employment or work experience.
Having an employment goal does not automatically mean that every employment-related activity will be funded.
Funding decisions depend on your individual circumstances and current NDIS requirements.
Step 5: Explore Employment Support Providers
If you have appropriate employment support funding in your plan, you can begin exploring providers whose services suit your goals.
Different providers may offer very different approaches.
Some focus on finding traditional employment. Others may provide practical skill development, supported employment opportunities or assistance exploring self-employment.
Before choosing a provider, consider asking:
What employment skills can you help me develop?
Will I receive individual or group support?
Can I gain practical experience?
How will the support be tailored to my goals?
How will you help me identify work that suits my strengths?
What happens after I complete the training?
Do you provide support once someone starts working?
Can you help me explore different employment pathways?
Remember that you have a choice about which provider you use and how your supports are delivered.
What About Inclusive Employment Australia?
Inclusive Employment Australia is an Australian Government employment program designed to help eligible people with disability, injury or health conditions prepare for, find and maintain employment.
It operates separately from NDIS-funded employment supports.
Depending on your circumstances, you may access NDIS employment supports, Inclusive Employment Australia or other mainstream employment services.
Your my NDIS contact or support coordinator can help you understand which services may be appropriate for you.
Step 6: Explore Different Employment Pathways
Employment doesn't have to look the same for everyone.
Some people prefer a structured workplace with set hours and responsibilities.
Others may benefit from supported employment or additional time to develop practical skills before moving towards paid employment.
Self-employment may also be worth exploring for people who have particular interests or strengths and would benefit from greater flexibility.
There isn't one pathway everyone needs to follow.
The right direction depends on your interests, abilities, support needs and personal goals.
How Phoenix Entrepreneurs Can Help
At Phoenix Entrepreneurs, we understand that participants can be at very different stages of their employment journey.
Our approach focuses on developing practical skills, confidence and greater independence through supported learning and real-world experiences.
Depending on your goals and circumstances, you may be interested in exploring:
Digital Skills and Employment
Develop practical digital skills, learn how to use online systems and explore opportunities that involve digital work.
Business and Self-Employment
Learn about business operations, digital administration and some of the practical responsibilities involved in developing your own business.
Pet Professional Pathway
Explore pet-industry skills through structured training and supported practical experience, with the opportunity to work towards future Pet Professional employment.
You don't need to know exactly which direction you want to take before enquiring.
Phoenix can help you explore different pathways and discuss options that may suit your goals and existing NDIS supports.
Step 7: Keep Track of Your Progress
Once you begin working towards an employment goal, keep track of what you're learning and how things are changing.
This might include:
New skills you've developed.
Practical experience you've gained.
Tasks you can now complete more independently.
Challenges you're still experiencing.
Additional support you may need.
Changes to your employment interests or goals.
Your employment provider may also prepare progress reports that can support future NDIS planning conversations.
These reports can help show the support you've received, the progress you've made, the skills you're continuing to develop and what your next steps might be.
Your employment goals can change as you develop new skills and discover different opportunities.
What If My NDIS Plan Doesn't Include Employment Funding?
If your plan doesn't currently include employment-specific funding, that doesn't necessarily mean employment is out of reach.
Start by reviewing your existing supports and talking about your employment goals with your my NDIS contact or support coordinator.
They can help you understand what supports are currently available in your plan and what other employment services may be available.
It is important to confirm that funding can be used for a particular support before entering into a service agreement with a provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need to Have an Employment Goal in My NDIS Plan?
It is helpful to talk about your employment goals during your NDIS planning conversations.
Your goal doesn't have to be simply “get a job”.
It could involve exploring what type of work suits you, developing particular skills, gaining work experience or becoming more independent in a workplace.
Does Having an Employment Goal Mean the NDIS Will Automatically Fund Employment Supports?
No.
Having an employment goal does not automatically mean every employment-related support will be funded.
The supports included in your plan will depend on your individual circumstances, disability-related needs and current NDIS funding requirements.
What If I'm Interested in Working but Don't Know What Job I Want?
That's okay.
Exploring your interests, strengths and the types of work that may suit you can be part of your employment journey.
You may be able to develop skills, participate in work experience or try different activities before deciding on a particular employment direction.
Do I Need to Be Ready for a Job Before I Can Receive Employment Support?
Not necessarily.
Some participants may need support to develop skills, experience and confidence before they're ready to look for paid employment.
The first step may simply be discovering what you enjoy, what you're good at and what type of work environment could suit you.
What If My Current NDIS Plan Doesn't Include Employment Support?
Start by talking with your NDIS contact or support coordinator about your employment goals and your existing plan.
They can help you understand the supports currently available to you and discuss what options may be appropriate if your circumstances or goals have changed.
Can NDIS Employment Supports Help Me Explore Self-Employment?
Self-employment can be one possible employment pathway.
Whether particular disability-related supports associated with pursuing self-employment can be funded will depend on your individual circumstances, NDIS plan and current funding requirements.
How Do I Choose an Employment Support Provider?
Look for a provider whose approach matches your individual goals rather than choosing solely on the services they advertise.
Ask how they will help you develop skills, whether support is individual or group-based, whether practical experience is available and what happens once you're ready to take the next step.
Try the Phoenix Strengths Discovery
Not sure what kind of work or pathway might suit you?
The Phoenix Strengths Discovery can help you explore your strengths, interests and preferred ways of working, and consider what you might like to learn, try or build from them.
Further Reading
Continue exploring employment, skills and different pathways with these Phoenix Entrepreneurs articles:
Real Skills, Real Options: A Different Approach to NDIS Employment
Explore how Phoenix supports participants to develop practical skills, confidence and greater independence while considering different employment pathways.
Not Ready for a Job Yet? Why Building Skills Is Still Progress
Discover why developing practical skills and confidence can be meaningful progress even when employment isn't the immediate next step.
Love Animals? Explore the Pet Professional Pathway
Learn how an interest in animals can be explored through structured Pet Professional training, practical experience and supported skill development.
From Passion to Profit: How to Turn Your Talents into a Thriving Business as an NDIS Participant
Explore how an existing interest or skill could potentially become the starting point for self-employment.
A Final Note
Your Employment Journey Can Start With a Conversation
You don't need to know exactly what job you want or have your future completely planned before you start exploring employment.
Your first step might simply be identifying something you enjoy, developing a new skill or talking about what you would like to achieve.
Your NDIS plan may provide opportunities to build skills and access disability-related support as you work towards your employment goals.
What matters is finding a pathway that reflects your goals, abilities, interests and support needs.
Ready to Explore Your Employment Options?
If you're interested in developing practical skills and exploring different pathways towards employment, Phoenix Entrepreneurs can help you understand the options available.
Important Information
NDIS funding and employment supports depend on individual circumstances, plan budgets and current NDIS requirements. Information provided by Phoenix Entrepreneurs is general in nature and does not guarantee eligibility for NDIS funding. Participants should confirm their available supports with their my NDIS contact, support coordinator or the NDIA.
Until next time
The Phoenix Entrepreneurs Team
