Jobsupport’s Transition to Work service is called Community Work Options (CWO).

CWO provides a service for school leavers with an intellectual disability who need extra help before they attempt paid employment.

If you are entitled to Transition to Work funding, and want a job in the regular workforce, you should talk to CWO.

COMMUNITY WORK OPTIONS AIMS TO:

•    Provide people with successful work experience, thus increasing their confidence to attempt a paid job

•    Achieve specific goals and overcome individual barriers that are preventing people being accepted by open employment services

•    Enhance people’s informed choice about work and identify the strategies, supports and environment that will give each person the best opportunity for success in employment.

FOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMMUNITY WORK OPTIONS PROGRAM:

1. Real work settings are used rather than classrooms

The best place to learn about work in is the workplace. Classroom-based course work is not suitable for people with a significant intellectual disability. This is because they have difficulty applying what they learn to new situations. There is no evidence that classroom-based course work is effective in preparing people with significant intellectual disability for employment.

Rather than running courses about work, CWO uses extended work experience placements that are set up to be as much like paid jobs as possible. On-the-job training is provided to give each person success in their work.

Work placements are located in central business districts. Up to five people work in clusters of individualised jobs. Staggered days and hours are used to maximize individual support time. Each person receives one-to-one training and support from a CWO staff member permanently located at each cluster.

2. Training towards agreed transition goals rather than a curriculum

CWO uses Individual Transition Planning to identify the skills and interests of each person, as well as the barriers that are holding him/her back from successful employment. The training for each person is targeted at achieving agreed transition goals rather than teaching general information about work.

People who attend CWO are placed into worksites that fit with their interests and the goals that have been agreed with them.

This individual approach leads to a program that best fits each person, giving the much-needed “shot of success” that builds confidence and motivation for work

Training towards goals and barriers allows CWO to move people into employment faster than a set training program. While some service users require two years of transition support, most achieve employment earlier – a number within the first year of their program.

3. The use of skilled and experienced staff

CWO managers have worked in Jobsupport’s open employment service, and have direct experience of placing and maintaining people with an intellectual disability in open employment.

University-accredited training is provided to all Jobsupport and CWO staff to make them the most skilled job trainers possible.

Because our managers know about employment, they can make better decisions about what is most important to work on in the two-year transition period. This is a great help in setting the most appropriate transition goals for each service user.

4. A strong link with an effective open employment service (Jobsupport Inc) that provides on-going support and training

CWO is part of a successful Disability Employment Network service, Jobsupport Inc. The benefits of this link include receiving regular information on the challenges and opportunities in the employment marketplace, gaining guidance and feedback on service user progress, and being able to advise and advocate for service users as they move into employment.

CWO service users who move through to Jobsupport can be assured of high quality training and support that continues throughout each person’s working life.

COMMUNITY WORK OPTIONS PROGRAM RESULTS:

Over 100 people have now completed Jobsupport's Transition to Work program CWO and are now in open employment. Over 70% of the people who have completed CWO have achieved open employment.

Although open employment is our goal, some people do not achieve this within the two-year Transition to Work funding period. CWO has assisted some of these service users to access supported employment. Others have been supported to move into alternative day programs under Post-School Options, ATLAS or Community Participation funding.

CWO works to ensure that no one is left without a suitable service at the end of their Transition to Work funding.

PROGRAM LOCATIONS

CWO currently operates cluster sites in Sydney, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Fairfield, Bankstown, Hornsby, Chatswood, Rockdale, Hurstville, Miranda, Parramatta and Blacktown CBDs and assists school leavers from right across the Sydney region.

Work experience locations may move in line with demand for the program.

Contact details

 For the latest results please see our Transition to Work Report Card and the DADHC TTW Results.