Theme Four: Learning and employment

• Priority 10: Better supports within educational and training settings
• Priority 11: Skill development through volunteering and support in navigating the pathway between learning and earning
• Priority 12: Improved access to employment opportunities and better support within workplaces

Priority 10: Better supports within educational and training settings

Action 32

State education and training sectors to support inclusive education culture and practices.

The Department for Education are developing One in Four Reforms capability building packages to support mainstream leaders and teachers in the use of inclusive practices, providing resources and guidance around how to implement in sites and classrooms.

Action 33

State education authorities to work in partnership with children, students, parents or carers, industries and the community to provide curriculum and learning opportunities that are personalised and tailored to the individual and prepare for life beyond school.

Department for Education is developing a model of support that leads to improved learning and development outcomes for children and students with functional needs in South Australian government schools and preschools. Ten key projects will be delivered under these reforms by 2024.

Action 34

Determine data required to measure and track the percentage of people living with disability participating and achieving in education and training.

Department for Education is developing an approach to track and report on a series of priority measures at system, partnership, and site level. The initial work includes a focus on the Inclusive Education Support Program, reporting on outcomes for students with disability.

Skills SA continues to manage and administer the states National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) contribution to the national collection on students living with disability. NCVER Total Vocational Education Training (VET) activity figures for 2021 show there were 13,405 South Australian VET students that reported they lived with disability.

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Priority 11: Skill development through volunteering and support in navigating the pathway between learning and earning

Action 35

Explore how pathways can be improved from education and training settings to post-learning.

Department for Education Student Pathways and Careers division provide high quality, industry-endorsed pathway options as part of an engaging senior secondary program that leads to meaningful post-school transitions for students with disability.

Skills SA invest in a range of student supports to assist with the transitions from education to training and pathways to employment, including integrated system of student supports. These supports incorporate individualised learning plans and access to Learner Support Services and customized foundation skills, determined by an upfront assessment of need to ensure students are best positioned for success.

In 2021, NCVER reported the following student outcomes for South Australians who participated in VET and reported as living with disability:

• 64.7% employed after training (up 10.6 points on 2020)
• 22% enrolled in further study after training (up 0.1 points on 2020)
• 70.9% employed or in further study after training (up 4 points on 2020).

Action 36

State authorities to facilitate meaningful volunteering opportunities for people living with disability.

82% (12% increase from 2020–21) of State authorities are continuing to facilitate meaningful volunteer opportunities for people with disability.

Further information can be found in State authorities’ Disability Access and Inclusion Plans (DAIPs). All DAIPs can be accessed on the Inclusive SA website.

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Priority 12: Improved access to employment opportunities and better support within workplaces

Action 37

Support and promote the implementation of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment’s Public Sector Employment Strategy across the public sector.

Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment established working groups to promote and implement the Employment Strategy. These working groups have addressed three priorities of the Strategy and have shared resources and learnings for implementation at agency level.

Action 38

Increase employment opportunities across all levels in the South Australian public sector through the targeting of job opportunities for people living with disability under section 65 of the Public Sector Act 2009 (SA) which provides for employment opportunity programs.

Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment continues to promote the resources available for public sector agencies, with specific information including how to advertise targeted public sector vacancies, disability employment opportunity programs and how Disability Employment Services providers can assist with employment of people with disability.

Action 39

Develop data measures to track the percentage of people living with disability employed and retained in State authorities.

South Australia’s Education to Employment National Disability Data Asset Test Case Pilot was completed in December 2021. The Commonwealth Government plans to publish Test Case findings from each jurisdiction on the National Disability Data Asset website.

Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment  have made changes to the South Australian Pre-Employment Declaration with the aim to encourage greater disclosure of employees with disability.

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Pathways to Employment

Campbelltown City Council piloted a Vision Impaired Work Experience Program in partnership with the SA School for Vision Impaired which has a Vision Support Program based at the local Charles Campbell College. As part of the pilot, Council’s Community Services & Social Development (CSSD) team hosted Year 12 student Mr T every Friday for ten weeks as part of his subject Workplace Practices, to participate in a tailor-made program to complete his required 60 hours of work experience. Mr T is a 17-year-old male from Cambodia with low vision (for example, he requires minimum font size 44), living in Australia for the past three years during which he began learning English.

The program commenced with orientation and a Mobility Assessment with Mr T, his two teachers, a Mobility Guide and Council’s Community Development Officer (Social Inclusion), which involved walking around the Council building and office area to identify any challenges and support that he might need. Mr T’s Mobility Guide did a practice run with him of how to get from Charles Campbell College to the Council and back, via public bus, and accompanied him for the first two weeks. Following this, Mr T travelled on his own, building his capacity and skills in navigation, what to do if he misses the bus, time management and independence.

Following orientation, the program consisted of induction to the Council and a rotation between the CSSD team, Library and Depot where Mr T gained experience in areas such as office administration, social programs, library tasks and depot/outdoor tasks.

City of Playford held the Positive Futures Expo on 1 June 2022 with an aim to showcase future pathway options including employment, volunteering, study and social options available to people with disability in the Playford region. Over 300 people attended the event, ranging from school students to adults looking for future opportunities. 50 stall holders were in attendance providing information and networking opportunities to attendees.

Department for Education are supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people with disability within The Workabout Centre, South Australian Secondary Training Academy and Transition Program for students with disability.  The Workabout Centre offers a range of programs and services to support Aboriginal students to make a successful transition from school to work, higher education or further training.

2,096 students with disability completed SACE. This equates to 13.4 % of all students who completed SACE in 2021.

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