Work experience and the NDIS
How work experience, volunteering and micro-enterprise can be stepping stones to a job, and how the NDIS builds your capacity to take part.
Not everyone is ready to walk straight into a paid job, and that's completely fine. Work experience, volunteering and micro-enterprise are low-pressure ways to try real tasks, discover what you enjoy and build confidence. This guide explains how these stepping stones work and how your NDIS plan can fund the support you need to take part.
Why a stepping stone helps
The stepping stones to choose from
How the NDIS can support you to take part
Micro-enterprise: your own small venture
Making a placement work well
Turning experience into a job
Frequently asked questions
Does the NDIS pay me for work experience?
No. Work experience is usually unpaid, and the NDIS doesn't pay wages. What it can fund is the disability support that helps you take part, such as a support worker or transport help.
How is work experience different from volunteering?
They overlap a lot. Work experience is usually aimed at building toward a specific kind of job, while volunteering is giving your time to a cause. Both build skills and confidence — see Volunteering and the NDIS.
Can a support worker come with me to a placement?
Often yes, if support to take part is in your plan. This is a common way the NDIS helps people access work experience. Confirm the details with your planner.
What is a micro-enterprise?
A very small business built around something you're good at, run at your own pace. The NDIS can fund disability support around it, though not the business's own costs.
Will work experience lead to a paid job?
It can, though it's not guaranteed. Its main value is helping you learn what suits you and build the skills and confidence that make the next step easier.