Leaving school is a big step. Learn how the right support can help young people with disability build confidence, explore employment pathways and take the next step towards their future.
The days are getting longer. Spring is in the air. And across Australia, many young people are preparing to leave school and take their first steps into the wider world.
If school is behind you, what do you remember about your last weeks?
My memories are a heady mix of exam nerves, dancing with friends to Love Shack by the B52s, and earnest playground chats about what we were going to do with our lives.
Life at that time was full of possibility and choices. Big dreams. Exciting futures.
Spending time with the young people in my life and their families recently, I’ve been reminded that excitement and uncertainty can sit side by side. While this should be a time of optimism, it can also feel overwhelming, particularly for young people with disability and those supporting them.
Research tells us that the best chance for a young person to secure work is within the first few years after leaving school, especially if they remain engaged in education, training, work experience or supported employment pathways.
Yet the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare finds that there’s still a significant employment gap for young people with disability, who are employed at a rate of 80%, compared with 92% for young people without disability.
While that gap is a statistic on paper, it represents thousands of young people whose talents, aspirations and potential are not being fully recognised. We can and should do better.
Over the years I’ve seen firsthand the way meaningful work can change a person’s life. Employment is about much more than simply earning a wage. It can build confidence, independence and belonging. It can open doors to new relationships, new experiences and a stronger sense of purpose.
Every young person has their own strengths, interests and idea of what a good future looks like. There is no single pathway after school, and there shouldn’t be. Our role at Castle is to walk alongside each young person we support, helping them build the confidence and skills to pursue the goals that matter to them. One of the great privileges of my role is seeing the impact this support has on people’s lives. I am incredibly proud of the work our teams at Castle do every day, helping young people move from uncertainty to opportunity.
Just recently we shared Luke’s story. Luke connected with Castle through his school and was supported by Sarah from our Inclusive Employment Australia team to secure an apprenticeship as a mechanic in Gosford.
Luke, 18, from Gorokan on the Central Coast, knew he wanted to work with cars from an early age. Despite some early setbacks, he's now building his career as an apprentice mechanic. Click the image to read his story.
I think Luke’s story captures exactly what this time of year is about. A young person with a goal, a pathway to pursue it and the support to make it happen.
Every young person deserves the opportunity to dream big about their future and the support to take the next steps towards it.
At Castle we work with young people both with and without an NDIS plan, supporting them to explore employment pathways through NDIS employment supports, supported employment and Inclusive Employment Australia.
The journey starts with personalised one-on-one employment supports that focus on building confidence, independence and work-ready skills. These may include mentoring, communication skills, travel training, goal setting and career planning.
As young people build their skills and confidence, the focus shifts to supporting them to access practical opportunities such as work experience, job trials, and supported and open employment.
Thinking back to those conversations with my own friends all those years ago, I remember how big our dreams felt and how uncertain the future seemed. Today’s young people deserve that same sense of possibility.
So if you’re approaching the end of school and wondering what comes next, know you don’t have to navigate it alone. Start with the dream and the next steps can be built from there.
We’re here to help. Reach out and explore those big dreams with us.