Career education and workplace learning for students with disability

​​​This page includes information about supporting students with a disability in their career and pathway planning.

Preparing for workplace learning

Leaving school is a big change for all young people. Students with disability may need extra support for the transition.

Starting the planning and preparation process early will help them move into study, employment or other options after they finish secondary school.

Students with disability should be well prepared for their workplace learning experiences.

Careful, individualised planning will help students have a positive experience and give them an opportunity to explore a range of post school pathways.

Their post-school planning should include options that foster independence and that support ongoing life skills development, social inclusion, and the pursuit of active and fulfilling experiences.

The social participation of students with disability adds value to a rich and diverse community. Post-school transition planning should start from Year 7.

For students supported under the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD), a strengthened approach is recommended.

Strengthened career education guides

These guides include:

  • advice on careers and transition planning for students with disability
  • information about strengthened career planning in schools
  • options available to students when they leave school.

Teachers and career practitioners guide (docx - 1.05mb)

Student guide (docx - 74.26kb)

Parents and carers guide (docx - 597.92kb)

Strengthened career planning

The strengthened career planning resource is a planning document designed to:

  • translate a student’s dreams and aspirations into specific learning goals
  • identify relevant work experience opportunities
  • give a snapshot of a student’s work-related and employability skills.

This helps students, their parents and teachers talk about:

  • what the students can do
  • their strengths
  • readiness for work.

Strengthened career planning: pathways from school for students (docx - 330.11kb)

Engaging Parents in Career Conversations (EPiCC)

The Engaging Parents in Career Conversations Framework includes customised resources to help schools work with parents to make sure students with a disability are empowered with positive career messages both at school and at home.

Workplace learning resources

Workplace learning: resources that help schools manage and run workplace learning programs for secondary school students.

A Job Well Done: helps students prepare for work experience and understand occupational health and safety.

Support services

When young people with disabilities need extra support, there are many community and government services available to them. These include:

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) - The NDIS is the new way of providing individualised support for people with an impairment or condition that is likely to be permanent, or who have a developmental delay that affects their ability to take part in everyday activities.

National Disability Coordination Officers (NDCO) - a national network of support officers to assist people with disability move from school into training and higher education, and into their chosen career.

Job Access - information and services for job seekers with disability.