Helping People Living with Disabilities Get Work-Ready: A Guide for Parents and Support Coordinators

Key Points:

• For people living with disability, becoming work ready is a step-by-step process that builds soft skills, confidence, and personal stability.
• Parents can support job training for people living with disability by focusing on strengths, encouraging independence, and exploring work experience opportunities.
• Support coordinators help employment and training succeed by setting clear goals and connecting participants with the right disability job agency and services.
• Rise Albury offers real-world pathways that turn skills into meaningful employment for people with disabilities.

Summary:

Parents, carers, and support coordinators play a vital role in helping people living with disability prepare for employment through practical skill-building and the right support services. Building work readiness at home, connecting with disability job agency providers, and accessing specialised job training designed for people living with disability are essential steps in the employment journey. With collaborative support and employment and training programs like Rise Training, people living with disability can develop the skills and confidence needed for meaningful work.

Outline:

1. Introduction
2. What Work-Readiness Means for People living with Disability
3. How Parents Can Support Skill-Building
4. How Support Coordinators Can Help
5. How Rise Helps Participants Become Work-Ready

Finding meaningful work can change lives. For people living with disability, the right employment support can open doors to independence, confidence, and connection. But getting work-ready takes more than just wanting a job. It takes skills, preparation, and having the right people in their corner.

Parents, carers, and support coordinators all play an important role in helping people living with disability prepare for employment. With the right approach and support, anyone can build the skills they need to thrive in the workplace.

What Work-Readiness Means for People living with Disability

Work readiness isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s a journey that looks different for everyone. Being work-ready means having the skills, behaviours, and personal stability needed to get a job and keep it. This includes:

• Soft skills: Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, and adapting to change
• Technical skills: The specific abilities needed for different types of work
• Personal readiness: Having stable routines, reliable transport, and managing health needs
• Self-advocacy: Being able to talk about your strengths and what support you need

Work readiness is an ongoing process. It’s about building skills over time and finding the right fit between a person’s abilities and the opportunities available to them.

How Parents Can Support Skill-Building

Parents and carers are often a child’s first and most important teachers. Small, steady steps at home can make a big difference to future work confidence.

• Build on strengths and interests
  Notice what your child enjoys and does well. These interests can guide future job ideas and learning pathways.
• Encourage independence
  Support daily skills like making simple meals, managing time, and completing small chores. These build responsibility and confidence.
• Create chances to try work-like tasks
  Volunteering, part-time work, or helping in the community can help your child practise routines, teamwork, and problem-solving.
• Support learning and training opportunities
  Programs like those offered by Rise Training provide real-world learning in a safe and supportive setting. Structured job training for people living with disability can build both confidence and skills.

How Support Coordinators Can Help

Aside from parents, support coordinators are also essential partners in turning employment dreams into reality. They help connect the dots between a person’s goals and the services that can help them get there.

• Identifying employment goals
  Support coordinators work with participants to explore what kind of work they’d like to do and what steps are needed. This includes talking about interests and strengths, identifying any barriers, and writing realistic employment goals that align with NDIS plans.
• Connecting with the right support
  Navigating the world of job services can feel complicated. Support coordinators help by linking participants with the right help, such as training programs, occupational therapists, and Disability Employment Services.
• Coordinating supports for work-readiness
  Getting ready for work involves more than just skills. Support coordinators can arrange programs for time management and communication, coordinate transport and daily living supports, and connect participants with mental health or behaviour support if needed.
• Supporting transitions and ongoing success
  Moving from school to work, or returning to the workforce after time away, can be challenging. Support coordinators monitor progress, adjust supports as needed, and advocate for workplace accommodations to help participants succeed long-term.

How Rise Helps Participants Become Work-Ready

Rise Training believes that the best way to get job-ready is by working. That is why our Rise program is built around real experience and real support.

We offer:

• Hands-on training in a real work environment at our Rise hubs
• Paid traineeships through Rise Pathways, paid at award wage
• Employment support for people living with disability, including help with resumes, applications, and interviews
• Ongoing support for both participants and employers during job transitions

Our team works closely with families, carers, and support coordinators to create person-centred plans that match each participant’s strengths, goals, and needs.

If you’re a parent, carer, or support coordinator looking for employment support for people living with disability, we’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch with Rise Albury today to learn how our programs can help create a confident and supported path toward meaningful work.