The NDIA has published its latest edition of the Provider Quarterly Report – School Leaver Employment, covering the period from January to December 2024. The report shines a light on employment support provided to young NDIS participants who are leaving school, highlighting outcomes achieved, best practices and opportunities for improvement.
What the Report Covers
The report tracks how employment support providers deliver services to school leavers, and the results yielded in terms of education, volunteering, open employment and supported employment. It draws from data submitted by providers to capture both progress and final outcomes. For this cycle, the report examines data for 7,580 school-leaver participants. Out of those who exited the program and support, key outcomes include:
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Among the 2,262 participants who exited employment support, 12% went on to further study or volunteering.
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21% secured open employment—meaning they obtained jobs in the open labour market.
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3% achieved supported employment outcomes, working in supported employment services.
These numbers reflect both progress and the continuing challenges in helping young people with disability transition to meaningful work or study.
Key Insights on What Works
Beyond these headline figures, the report includes insights about the practices and behaviours that correlate with better outcomes. Some of the most important findings:
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Participants who spent more time in skill-specific training, such as work-skills development or employer-based training, had a higher likelihood of achieving paid employment.
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Work experience opportunities — including hands-on placements, short term job trials or employer customisation — were also strongly associated with successful employment outcomes.
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Milestones such as employer engagement, job customisation, acquiring communication and social skills, and building presentation skills had a meaningful impact. Participants who fully or significantly achieved these milestones were more likely to secure open employment.
Why This Matters
For young people leaving school under the NDIS, making the transition to work or further study can be a turning point. The report offers two major sets of value:
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For participants and families — It provides clearer information about what employment support providers are achieving, and what kinds of practices help. This enables better decision-making when choosing a provider or planning an employment pathway.
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For providers — It presents data-driven insights into which elements of service contribute most to positive outcomes. Providers can review how much of their support time is devoted to work experience, employer engagement or milestone achievement and adjust their programs accordingly.
Opportunities for Improvement
While the outcomes are encouraging, the report also highlights areas needing improvement. With only 21% of school-leaver participants achieving open employment, significant work remains to boost transition rates. Some key approaches to consider include:
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Increasing the volume of work experience and real-world job exposure for participants.
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Strengthening employer engagement and role customisation, ensuring job opportunities are well-matched to individual interests and skills.
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Enhancing support for soft-skills development — such as communication, presentation and workplace behaviour — which have been shown to influence employment chances.
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Ensuring that supports are tailored, intensive and sustained during the critical period immediately after leaving school.
How to Use the Report
If you’re a participant or family reviewing your NDIS plan, you may want to:
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Look at whether your employment supports provider is using strong practices (training time, work experience, employer engagement).
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Ask about the provider’s outcomes where possible, and how they align with what the report finds effective.
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Use the insights to guide your discussions with a planner, support coordinator or provider about realistic goals, timelines and supports.
If you are a provider, reflect on:
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How your time allocation compares with the report’s findings.
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Whether your program emphasises training, work experience and employer engagement.
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How your milestone-monitoring and progress-tracking systems align with best practices.
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Opportunities to innovate or adjust your service delivery to improve open employment outcomes.
Looking Ahead
The NDIA continues to commit to improving employment outcomes for NDIS participants, especially young people transitioning from school. The agency emphasises that reliable data, transparent reporting and effective service design are key to achieving better long-term outcomes. For the school-leaver cohort, this means earlier, more focused supports, employer partnerships, and individualised pathways rather than one-size-fits-all models.
