Transitioning from school to work or study: how NDIS supports can help

School provides structure without anyone having to ask for it.

Set times.
Set routines.
Familiar people.
The same building, day after day.

Leaving that behind is bigger than a change in schedule.

It's losing a framework that held a lot of things in place without anyone noticing.

Some of the support needed here is practical.

Writing a resume.

Working through applications.

Figuring out enrolment steps that can feel like a maze the first time through.

That matters.

But the harder part is often having enough confidence to take the leap — and enough flexibility to change direction if it turns out to be the wrong one.

A course that doesn't fit.

A job that isn't right.

A path that looked good on paper but doesn't work in practice.

Being able to walk away and try something else isn't failure.

It's part of doing this well.

Success isn't just showing up

There is a common assumption that attendance equals success.

If someone is showing up to class or turning up to work, things must be going fine.

Sometimes they are.

Sometimes they aren't.

Someone can attend consistently while quietly struggling, disengaged or simply being in the wrong place.

That's why transition support needs to look beyond attendance.

Is the person participating?

Are they building confidence?

Do they feel connected to where they are?

Does this actually feel like something they want to be doing?

Moving from school into adult life involves much more than finding a job or enrolling in a course. Relationships, community participation, independence and having a meaningful role all contribute to a successful transition. [1,2]

Finding the right fit takes time

The first job doesn't have to be the right job.

The first course doesn't have to be the right course.

Sometimes the most valuable part of support is creating enough space to try something and learn from the experience.

Young people with disability can face barriers to employment and further education that extend beyond their individual abilities, including limited opportunities, transport, social expectations and the availability of appropriate support. [1,3]

That means support shouldn't just ask:

“How do we get them into work?”

It should also ask:

“What kind of work would actually work for them?”

And:

“What would help them stay there?”

The goal is a life, not just a destination

Transitioning out of school is not about replacing one timetable with another.

It's about gradually building a life that belongs to the person.

That might mean university.

A trade.

Part-time work.

Volunteering.

Starting a business.

Or taking some time to work out what comes next.

There is no single definition of a successful transition.

What matters is whether the young person has opportunities to develop their skills, make decisions and move towards a future that reflects their interests and goals. [2,4]

At ENGEN, we think good support makes room for that uncertainty.

Because sometimes the best outcome isn't getting everything right the first time.

It's knowing you can try, learn, change direction and try again.

Real support means noticing the gap between being somewhere and actually belonging there.

It's not just about whether someone showed up.

It's about whether where they've landed is actually working for them.

References

[1] Foley KR, Dyke P, Girdler S, Bourke J, Leonard H. Young adults with intellectual disability transitioning from school to post-school: A literature review framed within the ICF. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2012;34(20):1747–1764.

[2] Mazzotti VL, Rowe DA, Sinclair J, Poppen M, Woods S, Shearer M. Predictors of post-school success in transition-age youth with disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals. 2016;39(4):195–206.

[3] Wehman P, Schall C, McDonough J, et al. Competitive employment for youth with significant disabilities: Current challenges and promising practices. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. 2014;40(3):259–272.

[4] Gray KM, Piccinin A, Keating CM, et al. Outcomes in young adulthood: Are we achieving community participation and inclusion? Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 2014;58(8):734–745.

[5] Kirby AV, Holmes LG, Persch AC. Longitudinal change in parent postsecondary expectations for youth with disabilities. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2020.