Who SLES is for
SLES is for NDIS participants who are in their final year of school or have recently left, and who have a goal of getting a job. The NDIS says it has focused on young people with difficulties in learning, social interaction and self management, who need extra help to move from school into work.
You do not need to know what job you want. Finding out is part of the point.
What SLES includes
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements describe employment assistance for these young participants as 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 jobs in different settings, often called discovery
- Develop work skills in real workplaces
- Do training where needed to learn specific vocational skills and use them at work
- Find suitable job opportunities and connect with employers, or work with an employment service
- Customise a job, learn the role and settle into the workplace
- Secure a job and work out what ongoing support is needed to keep it
How long it lasts
SLES is generally available for up to 2 years after leaving school. Your provider should agree a plan with you, set goals and check progress regularly, so you are moving towards a job rather than just attending a program.
How it is funded and claimed
SLES sits in the Finding and Keeping a Job category of your Capacity Building budget. Since 1 July 2024 providers claim it using the Employment Assistance support item, which has a 2026/27 price limit of $83.87 an hour in most of Australia. Under the 2025/26 Pricing Arrangements, providers could keep using the older weekly SLES rate as a transitional arrangement until 30 June 2027, so check how your provider charges.
Every provider must have a service agreement with you that sets out the services, how long they will run, how progress will be measured and how costs will be claimed. SLES cannot pay for certified courses such as a Certificate I in Work Education, which are funded through the vocational education system.
Getting SLES in your plan
- Raise it at your plan reassessment in your final year of school, or before
- Write a work goal in your own words, such as "I want a part time job after school"
- Bring reports from school, therapists or work experience about what you can do and what gets in the way
- Talk to your school's careers or transition staff, who often know local SLES providers
After SLES
SLES is a bridge. When you start work, ongoing help on the job can come from supports in employment, funded from Core, in an open workplace or a supported setting. Inclusive Employment Australia, which replaced Disability Employment Services on 1 November 2025, can also help you find and keep work, outside your NDIS plan.
SLES and the 2026 funding changes
From 1 October 2026 a support determination reduces social, economic and community participation supports by 50% and improved daily living skills by 10% when a plan is created, reassessed or renewed. Supports in employment are protected, and the government's own example treats employment supports as unaffected. Your new plan shows which funding is not affected. If you are unsure how your SLES funding has been treated, ask your plan manager, support coordinator or the NDIA.