Finding & Keeping a Job referrals in Woden, ACT

Employment capacity building — job readiness, resume and interview help, and on-the-job support that works alongside Disability Employment Services (DES).

Finding and Keeping a Job is the employment category within a participant's Capacity Building budget (you may also see it called Capacity Building - Employment or CB Employment). It funds disability-specific supports that build a person's capacity to prepare for, find, and stay in work - whether that is open (mainstream) employment, self-employment, or a supported setting.

These supports are goal-driven and are designed to complement mainstream employment services rather than duplicate them. They work alongside Disability Employment Services (DES) - a separate Australian Government program - covering the tailored, ongoing or more intensive assistance that DES and other systems typically do not provide, such as School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) and one-to-one on-the-job coaching.

Funding sits in the participant's plan and is tied to an employment goal. Most employment supports do not legally require provider registration the way SDA or specialist behaviour support do, but participants whose plans are NDIA-managed must use a registered provider, so registration status still matters when you refer.

Coordinator FAQs

Does a participant have to stop using DES to access NDIS employment supports?

No. NDIS Finding and Keeping a Job supports run alongside Disability Employment Services, not instead of them. DES is a separate Australian Government program, and many participants use both. The NDIS funds the disability-specific, often more intensive or ongoing support that DES does not provide. Your role is to clarify the boundary so…

What's the difference between DES and NDIS employment supports?

DES is a mainstream Australian Government service that helps people with disability find and keep open-market jobs, available to eligible people whether or not they have an NDIS plan. NDIS Finding and Keeping a Job funds tailored, disability-specific capacity building - like intensive on-the-job coaching, SLES, and ongoing Support in…

Does the provider have to be NDIS registered?

It depends on plan management. Participants whose plans are NDIA-managed must use registered providers, so check registration before referring. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can use unregistered providers. Most employment supports do not legally require registration the way SDA or specialist behaviour support do, but…

What is SLES and who is it for?

School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) is an employment pathway for young people in the years after they finish school, usually Year 12. It builds work-readiness - skills, confidence, and experience - to bridge the gap between education and employment. It is individualised and typically runs for a defined period post-school. Refer for…

Can this funding be used to keep a job, not just find one?

Yes. Keeping a job is core to this category. Support in Employment funds ongoing, individualised on-the-job assistance so a participant can sustain and progress in a role - whether in open employment, self-employment, or a supported setting. This includes coaching, help adjusting work routines, and building the skills needed to maintain…

Can a psychosocial recovery participant use these supports?

Yes. Participants with psychosocial disability can have employment goals and use Finding and Keeping a Job funding to build work tolerance, routines, and confidence. These supports often pair well with a recovery coach or support coordinator managing the broader plan. Look for providers experienced in psychosocial disability and flexible,…

How does this relate to Australian Disability Enterprises or supported employment?

Supported employment is now funded through Support in Employment, which sits within Finding and Keeping a Job. Rather than funding tied only to an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE), the funding follows the participant, giving them more choice about where they work with support. A participant can use it in an ADE, open employment, or…

What should be in the plan before I refer?

The participant needs a stated employment goal and funding in the Finding and Keeping a Job (Capacity Building - Employment) category. Check the amount and any notes about the intended support type - job readiness, SLES, or ongoing on-the-job support - since employment funding is often specific. If the goal or funding is not there, it may…