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SLES: School Leaver Employment Supports

SLES — School Leaver Employment Supports — helps young people with disability build the skills and confidence to move from school toward work. Here's how it works.

The SLES path from school toward workA three-step journey: finishing school, then SLES building work skills and experience over up to about two years, then stepping toward employment.From school toward workFinishing schoolYear 12 / just leftSLESBuild work skillsToward employmentReady for a job
The SLES path: finishing school, then building work skills and experience with support, then stepping toward employment.

What SLES is

SLES stands for School Leaver Employment Supports. It's an NDIS-funded, capacity-building support that helps a young person with disability get ready for work in the years right around finishing school.

It's not a job placement in itself — it's the preparation that makes a job more achievable: the skills, confidence and experience that bridge the gap between school and employment.

Who it's for

SLES is generally for school leavers with disability — often in their final year or just after — who have an employment goal in their NDIS plan. It's individualised to the person, so what it looks like varies from one participant to the next.

What it involves

SLES is usually delivered over a period of time — commonly up to around two years — and focuses on the practical building blocks of working life.

  • Work readiness — understanding workplaces, expectations and routines.
  • Real experience — work experience and trying out different environments.
  • Everyday skills — travel training, communication, and money handling.
  • Confidence — building the self-belief to take the next step toward a job.
SLES is about the runway, not the destination — it builds the skills, confidence and experience first, so employment becomes a realistic next step. It's usually planned in the final year of school.

How you get it

SLES is funded through your NDIS plan, under employment supports, when getting a job is one of your goals. Because it's often set up in the last year of school, it's worth raising early — with your planner, Local Area Coordinator, or support coordinator.

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Common questions

What is SLES?

SLES — School Leaver Employment Supports — is an NDIS-funded, capacity-building support that helps young people with disability prepare for work in the years around finishing school. It's preparation, not a job placement itself.

Who is eligible for SLES?

Generally school leavers with disability — often in their final year or just after — who have an employment goal in their NDIS plan. Talk to your planner, Local Area Coordinator, or support coordinator.

How long does SLES last?

It's individualised, but commonly runs up to around two years. The exact amount depends on your plan and your goals.

What's the difference between SLES and DES?

SLES is NDIS-funded and highly individualised preparation for work. Disability Employment Services (DES) is a separate mainstream program that helps people find and keep a job. They can complement each other.

This is general information to help you get oriented — not official advice, and everyone’s situation is different. The NDIS is changing, so for the current rules always check ndis.gov.au or talk to your planner, Local Area Coordinator, or support coordinator.

More guides

How NDIS funding worksWho does what: coordinator, plan manager, support workerHow your plan is managed (and why it matters)