Building supporters and networks

Overview

Transitioning from school to further education, training, or employment is complex – especially for young people with disability. Evidence shows that when these students are supported by people who encourage their aspirations and actively connect them to opportunities, they achieve better post-school outcomes.²

Successful transitions require collaboration across a student’s network, including schools, families, employment services and community partners. Research identifies this collaboration as one of the strongest predictors of success.^{3 4}

What Effective Collaboration Looks Like

• Specialist employment staff bring expertise in workplace readiness, employer engagement and funding supports, and their involvement opens doors and challenges low expectations by showing families and teachers that employment is achievable. They act as a bridge between school and work, so collaboration between with employment services staff and schools is critical. ⁵ For example, they might help a student secure a work experience placement in a local café, coach them on workplace expectations.⁶
• Families bring deep knowledge of their child’s strengths, interests and their conditions for success.⁷ For example, a parent who knows their child works best in quiet environment can advocate to ensure their child’s needs and accommodation are front and centre in planning for work placements and supports. Families remain committed for the long term, long after employment supports and services finish.
• Collaboration matters because no single program can meet all needs of young people with disability in transition school to work. There is a need for integration of programs and services to address the student’s evolving interests, preferences and needs.⁸Effective collaboration means that all of the young person's supports are coordinated and sequenced, leading to stronger, more flexible pathways than any one service could provide. For example, combining school-based vocational training with disability employment support and community mentoring.⁹
• Cultural responsiveness builds trust and relevance.  For example, recognising a student’s cultural identity might mean involving community elders in planning or ensuring employment pathways respect cultural obligations.¹⁰

(Note: ‘Parent’ refers broadly to any family member or caregiver acting in a parental role. Terms like ‘parent’, ‘supporter’ and ‘family’ are used interchangeably.)

Families as Partners

Parents and families are powerful advocates. Their involvement influences outcomes by ensuring informed choices and active participation in planning. Strategies include:

• Respecting and leveraging family knowledge and culture. For example, a family might identify that their child thrives in hands-on environments, guiding the choice of vocational programs.
• Providing clear roles and practical tools. This could mean giving families a checklist for transition planning or hosting workshops on navigating employment services.

Key Strategies for Success

Building networks and collaborating with families and community partners leads to better outcomes. Strategies include:

• Creating strong partnerships between schools, families and agencies to reduce service gaps. For example, a school might host joint planning meetings with employment consultants and parents to map out next steps.
• Engaging disability employment services early – during school years – to bridge education and work. This could involve arranging job trials or apprenticeships before graduation.
• Preventing the post-school “cliff” by designing structured pathways. For instance, a student finishing Year 12 might move directly into a supported traineeship rather than losing their routine and support.
• Joining up resources through “braiding” or “sequencing” supports – such as combining NDIS funding for job coaching with school-based work experience – to avoid duplication and close gaps.