School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)
School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) is time-limited NDIS funding helping young people with disability move from school into work by building work skills, trying jobs and connecting with employers. Since 1 July 2024 it has been claimed as Employment Assistance, with a transitional SLES rate until 30 June 2027.
Also called: SLES NDIS, school leaver employment support, SLES program
Key takeaways
- SLES is funded from the capacity building budget under Finding and keeping a job, a time-limited support for working-age participants.
- Since 1 July 2024 providers claim SLES under the Employment Assistance support item, which covers youth aged 15 to 25.
- Providers can keep claiming the transitional weekly SLES rate until 30 June 2027, an all-in amount covering travel, cancellations and non-face-to-face work.
- SLES can't pay for certified courses such as a Certificate I in Work Education, which the vocational education system funds.
- Providers must have a service agreement setting out services, duration, how progress is measured and how costs are claimed.
What is School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)?
School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) is NDIS funding that helps young people with disability move from school into work, by building work skills, trying different jobs and connecting with employers. It is a time-limited support in the capacity building budget, under the Finding and keeping a job category. Since 1 July 2024 the NDIA has treated SLES as part of its broader Employment Assistance support, with transitional arrangements running until 30 June 2027.
SLES is aimed at school leavers who are likely to need extra help to get a job. The NDIA's pricing arrangements describe it as employment preparation focused on participants with difficulties in learning, social interaction and self-management (NDIS pricing arrangements). The NDIS supports lists also include "employment preparation complementary to that delivered while at school and when leaving school" (NDIA: What are NDIS supports).
Families still call it "SLES", and many employment providers still advertise SLES programs. The name matters less than the substance: funded, individual support to get a young person ready for and into work.
What SLES covers
According to the NDIA's pricing arrangements, employment assistance for these young participants includes support to:
- Build essential skills for independence and work, such as travel training, money and time management, teamwork and communicating at work.
- Explore work preferences by trying and testing jobs in different settings, often called "discovery".
- Develop work skills in real employment settings.
- Train in specific vocational skills where needed, and apply them in a workplace.
- Find suitable jobs and connect with employers, or work with a government-funded disability employment service to do so.
- Customise a job, help the participant learn the role and build connections in the workplace.
- Secure a job and work out what ongoing support is needed to keep it.
SLES can't pay for a certified education course, such as a Certificate I in Work Education, even if the employment provider runs it. Those courses are funded through the vocational education system.
- Final school yearSet a work goalAdd an employment goal to the NDIS plan and gather evidence.
- After schoolBuild skillsTravel training, routines, communication and teamwork.
- DiscoveryTry different jobsShort placements to explore work preferences.
- PlacementFind and customise a jobConnect with employers and tailor a role.
- In workSettle in and plan ongoing supportWork out what help is needed to keep the job.
How SLES funding works
Finding and keeping a job is one of the capacity building categories. The NDIA describes it as "time-limited support for all working aged participants" to find and keep a job, including building work skills, developing a career plan, work experience and support moving into work or further education (NDIA: What are capacity building supports). Capacity building funding is stated, so it must be spent on the supports described in that category.
The pricing arrangements set out how SLES changed on 1 July 2024:
| Before 1 July 2024 | From 1 July 2024 |
|---|---|
| SLES funded as its own support, usually at a weekly rate | Providers claim under the Employment Assistance support item, which covers youth aged 15 to 25 |
| One weekly amount covered all service delivery | Providers who want to keep claiming the weekly rate can do so under a transitional SLES item until 30 June 2027 |
| — | Participants continue to receive a budget matched to their level of need when they leave school |
The transitional weekly rate is not a published NDIS price. It is an all-in amount covering service delivery, travel, cancellations and non-face-to-face work. The NDIA said it would stay until 30 June 2027, when results of its Blended Payments Trial would be known. Employment Assistance claimed by the hour has a price limit; look it up in the NDIS price guide.
How long SLES funding lasts depends on the participant's plan and the NDIA's current employment guidance; it is designed as a time-limited transition support, not ongoing funding. Check the participant's NDIS plan and the NDIA's guidance for the current period.
Who SLES is for and how to get it
SLES is for NDIS participants leaving school who have an employment goal and need support to prepare for work. Under the pricing arrangements, Employment Assistance can be delivered to any working-age participant with an employment goal, including young people aged 15 to 25.
- 1Add a work goalTell the NDIA, ideally in the final year of school, that the young person wants to work.
- 2Gather evidenceCollect school reports, work experience feedback and any allied health reports showing the support needed.
- 3Ask for Finding and keeping a job fundingRequest it at plan creation or a plan reassessment.
- 4Choose a providerCompare employment providers and agree a service agreement covering services, duration and progress measures.
Because SLES depends on an employment goal, the most important step is making sure the young person's NDIS goals mention work. A support coordinator or school career adviser can help gather evidence of the support needed, such as school reports, work experience feedback and allied health reports.
SLES vs other employment supports
Young people with disability can draw on several employment supports, from both the NDIS and mainstream services. The main difference is who funds them and what stage of the work journey they cover.
| Support | Stage | Funded by |
|---|---|---|
| School transition and work experience | While at school | School and education system |
| SLES / Employment Assistance | Preparing for and finding work after school | NDIS capacity building |
| Supports in employment | Ongoing help in the workplace, including supported employment | NDIS core |
| Disability employment services | Job search and placement | Australian Government employment programs |
| Certified vocational courses | Formal qualifications | Vocational education system |
School work experience and transition programs remain the school's responsibility; SLES is meant to complement them, not replace them. Once someone has a job, ongoing support in the workplace may come from supports in employment or from a disability employment service.
Changes in 2026
- Budget reductions from 1 October 2026 apply to the Social, Economic and Community Participation and Improved Daily Living Skills categories (NDIA news). Finding and keeping a job isn't one of those categories, and the NDIA lists supports in employment among the supports not affected.
- Proposed employment supports category. The August 2026 consultation on the NDIS supports rules proposes a single "employment supports" category covering employment-related assessment and advice, employment assistance and transitions into work, day-to-day help in the workplace, and related transport (consultation paper). It is a proposal only.
- Transitional SLES rate ends 30 June 2027, according to the 2025-26 pricing arrangements. Providers should watch for NDIA updates on what replaces it.
What SLES providers need to know
The pricing arrangements say every provider must have a service agreement with the participant that sets out:
- The services to be delivered.
- How long services will be provided.
- How progress will be measured.
- How the cost of services will be claimed from the participant's budget.
Decide whether you are claiming the transitional weekly SLES rate or hourly Employment Assistance, and say so in the agreement. Record progress against the participant's work goals in progress notes, because the NDIA will want evidence of outcomes at the next plan reassessment. The free service agreement generator can help with the paperwork.
Common misunderstandings about SLES
- "SLES has been abolished." It now sits within Employment Assistance, with a transitional weekly rate until 30 June 2027.
- "SLES pays for TAFE courses." Certified courses are funded by the vocational education system.
- "You only get it if you already have a job lined up." It is designed to prepare young people for work, including exploring options.
- "SLES lasts indefinitely." It is time-limited transition support.
- "It replaces school transition programs." It complements what schools deliver.
- Budget that funds it
- Schools, VET and employment services
- Can help find providers
- An employment goal is needed
- Required for every SLES provider
- When SLES funding is often added
Example
Illustrative example (fictional). Noah, 18, has autism and an intellectual disability and finishes Year 12 this year. His goal is to work with animals. During his final year, Noah and his parents tell the NDIA about his work goal, and his plan is reassessed to include Finding and keeping a job funding.
After school ends, Noah's employment provider works with him on catching the bus, managing a timetable and talking with co-workers. He tries short work placements at a vet clinic, a pet supply store and an animal shelter, and finds he likes the store's routine best. The provider negotiates a customised role stocking shelves and feeding animals, and supports Noah in his first weeks.
The provider's service agreement says it claims hourly Employment Assistance, lists the services and expected duration, and explains how progress will be measured. Its progress notes track Noah's skills against his goal, ready for his next plan reassessment.
Frequently asked questions
What does SLES stand for in the NDIS?
SLES stands for School Leaver Employment Supports. It is NDIS funding that helps young people with disability move from school into work by building work skills, exploring job options and connecting with employers.
Who is eligible for SLES?
SLES is for NDIS participants leaving school who have an employment goal and need support to prepare for work. The NDIA has focused it on young people with difficulties in learning, social interaction and self-management. Your plan needs a work-related goal.
Is SLES still available in 2026?
Yes, in a changed form. Since 1 July 2024 providers claim SLES under the Employment Assistance item, which covers youth aged 15 to 25. Providers can still claim the transitional weekly SLES rate until 30 June 2027.
Which NDIS budget pays for SLES?
SLES is funded from the capacity building budget, in the Finding and keeping a job category. Capacity building funding is stated, so it must be used for the employment supports described in that category.
Can SLES pay for a TAFE course?
No. The NDIA's pricing arrangements say employment assistance can't fund a certified education course, such as a Certificate I in Work Education, even if the employment provider runs it. These are funded through the vocational education system.
Is SLES affected by the October 2026 NDIS budget cuts?
The reductions that began on 1 October 2026 apply to the Social, Economic and Community Participation and Improved Daily Living Skills categories. SLES is funded under Finding and keeping a job, which is not one of those categories.
Related terms
- Capacity building supportsCapacity building supports are one of the four NDIS support budgets. They fund supports that build skills and independence, such as therapy, behaviour support, employment help, support coordination and plan management. The funding is stated, so each category can only be used as the plan describes.
- Mainstream supportsMainstream supports are services people with disability get from government systems other than the NDIS, such as health, mental health, education, transport, housing and justice. The NDIS doesn't fund supports that one of these systems is more appropriately responsible for.
- NDIS goalsNDIS goals are the outcomes a participant wants to achieve, recorded in their NDIS plan as the participant's statement of goals and aspirations. The participant prepares the statement, and the NDIA must be satisfied that each funded support will help the participant pursue those goals. Goals can be changed at any time.
- Plan reassessmentA plan reassessment is the NDIA's review of a participant's whole NDIS plan to decide whether it still meets their disability support needs, ending in a varied plan or a new one. It happens before the plan's reassessment date, or earlier if needs change significantly and for good. It was once called a plan review.
- Progress notesProgress notes are the written record of an NDIS support: what was delivered, when and by whom, what the participant did and said, how they are progressing towards their goals and what happens next. Workers write them each shift, and providers rely on them as evidence of delivery.
- Service agreementAn NDIS service agreement is an agreement between a participant and a provider that sets out the supports to be delivered, how and when, what they cost and each party's responsibilities. Written agreements are mandatory for SDA, expected of registered providers and needed for GST-free supplies.
- Support coordinationSupport coordination is NDIS capacity building funding for a coordinator who helps a participant understand and use their plan, connect with providers and community services, and build skills to manage supports. It has three levels: support connection, coordination of supports and specialist support coordination.
Go deeper
Sources
- ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-and-payments/pricing/pricing-arrangements
- ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-funding/different-budget-types/what-are-capacity-building-supports
- ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-funding/understanding-your-ndis-funding/what-are-ndis-supports
- ndis.gov.au/news/11695-changes-support-budgets-1-october
- consultations.health.gov.au/disability-and-carers-group/nfp-ndis-supports/user_uploads/consultation-paper---ndis-supports_final.pdf
General information, not legal, clinical or financial advice. NDIS rules change — check the official source before you act.
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