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NDIS Finding and Keeping a Job: Employment Supports Explained

How the NDIS funds support to find work, keep your job and grow at work

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About this funding

What is NDIS Finding and Keeping a Job?

Updated October 2026 · Written by the Good Company team · Part of our NDIS employment and funding guides

“Finding and Keeping a Job” is the NDIS funding category for employment supports. It may pay for help to work out what job suits you, build work skills, find a job and get support once you are working.

It is a Capacity Building support category, sometimes shown in plans as “CB Employment”. Capacity Building funding is for building your skills and independence, so this funding is about more than being matched with a vacancy. It is for developing the skills and confidence to get work and stay in it, so that over time you need less help.

Is employment funding affected by the October 2026 changes?

The NDIS lists employment supports among the supports that are not included in the support budget reductions that began on 1 October 2026. Our guide to the NDIS community participation cuts and our overview of NDIS changes in 2026 explain what is changing.

NDIS employment supports and Inclusive Employment Australia

Inclusive Employment Australia replaced Disability Employment Services (DES) on 1 November 2025. It is a separate government program, not part of your NDIS plan. You can use both, as long as they don’t pay for the same thing.

NDIS employment supportsInclusive Employment Australia
What it isFunding in your NDIS plan under Finding and Keeping a JobA government employment program for people with disability, injury or a health condition
FocusBuilding work skills and confidence, and ongoing support on the jobHelping jobseekers prepare for, find and keep a job
How you get itThrough your NDIS plan, based on your goals and needsThrough Services Australia and Inclusive Employment Australia providers

For work-related modifications and equipment, the Employment Assistance Fund through JobAccess may help you or your employer.

What it pays for

What NDIS employment supports can include

The NDIS says employment supports can help you build work skills, find and keep a job, and get support at work. That can include:

  • Discovering your strengths: working out what you are good at and what kind of work suits you;
  • Learning how to work: getting to work, teamwork, problem-solving, workplace communication and building confidence in real work settings;
  • Travel training: learning to get to and from work on your own;
  • Finding or changing jobs: finding a suitable job, helping an employer learn how to support you, and changing jobs or moving ahead in your career;
  • Support at work: on-the-job coaching, training and mentoring, and help to complete tasks until you can do them yourself;
  • Assessment and advice: employment-related assessments, counselling and advice from allied health professionals.

The NDIS only funds supports that are reasonable and necessary for you, so what ends up in your plan depends on your situation.

What the NDIS doesn’t pay for

The NDIS list of supports that are not NDIS supports includes:

  • wages, and things an employer is responsible for, such as recruitment, work arrangements and transport for work activities;
  • work-specific aids and equipment needed to do a job, and reasonable adjustments or workplace modifications (the Employment Assistance Fund may help here);
  • government employment programs such as Inclusive Employment Australia and Workforce Australia, which are funded separately;
  • education and training usually provided by universities and TAFE or other VET providers.

NDIS and supported employment

Supported employment means working with ongoing support on the job, either in an inclusive workplace or in a specialised supported employment setting. The NDIS can fund the support you need to work in these settings (sometimes called “supports in employment”). Depending on your plan, this may come from your Core or your Capacity Building budget, so check with your planner where it sits.

Staying in work: support on the job

Support doesn’t have to stop when you get the job. Where it is in your plan, on-the-job support can help you learn new tasks, settle into the routine, get along with your team and handle changes at work. The aim is for you to need less support over time.

Getting funded

How employment supports get into your NDIS plan

It starts with a goal. You don’t need to know exactly what job you want: “I want to find out what work suits me” or “I want to build skills for a job in hospitality” is enough to start the conversation.

You can share your employment goals at your plan meeting. Your my NDIS contact or support coordinator can help you think them through. When employment funding is being added, your planner will want to know things like:

  • where and when you work, or want to work;
  • what tasks are involved;
  • what extra help you need;
  • whether the support is one-to-one or in a group.

Bring evidence that shows what helps you, such as reports from your current provider, employer, therapist or support coordinator. If you’re in Year 12 or have just left school, look at SLES first.

Setting employment goals for your NDIS plan

Clear goals make it easier for everyone to see what support will help. These questions are a good place to start:

  • What do you enjoy doing, and could any of it lead to work?
  • What kind of workplace suits you: outdoors, in an office, with animals, with people?
  • How many hours a week do you want to work?
  • What skills do you have now, and what do you want to learn?

Your answers might lead to goals such as “I want a part-time customer service job so that I can build my confidence” or “I want support to start my own gardening business”. If working for yourself interests you, read Can the NDIS fund a microenterprise? For more ideas, see our NDIS goals examples.

With Good Company

How Good Company can help

At Good Company we call our support workers mentors. For employment goals, a mentor can work with you on what kind of work suits you, practise the skills you need, and support you through work experience and your first weeks in a job. You can read Ken’s story on our NDIS employment support page.

We also offer NDIS mentoring and microenterprise support, for NDIS participants in Perth, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide. Warm up with our free First Shift game, then make a referral.

What people say about Good Company

“My Grandchild has been supported by Good Company Disability Services since April 13th, 2024. Their way of mentoring means their clients will often be provided with more than one mentor, assuring there is always backup and diversity. The mentors provided have been caring, professional, and enthusiastic.” – Sonia

“Good Company has helped me out a lot with rides and communicating with people to find ways to get in stuff done. I like the way everyone is friendly.” – Joziah

Individual experiences vary. Outcomes depend on your circumstances and your NDIS plan.

Sources and further reading

This guide is general information only and was current at October 2026. NDIS rules, and how they apply to individual plans, can change. It is not advice about your plan. Check ndis.gov.au, call the NDIS on 1800 800 110, or speak with your support coordinator or plan manager. Good Company Disability Services is an independent provider and is not affiliated with the NDIS or the NDIA.

Questions

Finding and keeping a job NDIS: FAQ

What is Finding and Keeping a Job in the NDIS?

It is the Capacity Building support category that funds employment supports, such as building work skills, finding a job and getting support at work.

The NDIS lists employment supports among the supports that are not included in the budget reductions that began on 1 October 2026.

No. Inclusive Employment Australia replaced Disability Employment Services on 1 November 2025.

No. A broad goal about exploring work or building skills is enough to start. Your supports can help you work out what suits you.

Yes. Employment supports can include on-the-job coaching and help when your tasks or role change.

Yes, as long as they are not paying for the same support.

The NDIS describes it as individualised support for up to two years after finishing Year 12. See our SLES guide.

Further reading

All funding guides

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