About Pathways

Pathways has a particular focus on working with neurodivergent young people, and young people with disabilities. According to the ABS Survey of disability, Aging and Carers (2018), Autistic people are almost 8 times more likely to be unemployed than the general population. Furthermore, the unemployment rate of Autistic people in Australia is 34.1%, which is three times that of people with other disabilities. 77% of Autistic 5-20 year olds attending school or an education institution experienced difficulty at their place of learning. Pathways aims to reverse these trends.

Pathways can form a part of a participant’s NDIS plan.

Program Overview

A structured, individualised training program. Each Pathways traineeship involves an agreed-upon volunteer training hours, with different focuses to allow for personalised assessment and tailored training towards the participant’s goals.

Employment related assessment and counselling. Participants are supported by support workers, and occupational therapists if required, for the duration of their traineeship, providing attentive, personal feedback and support in all areas of work.

End-program transition. Following the completion of the agreed upon volunteer training hours, the participant will receive a printed review detailing what skills they have learnt and a certificate detailing how many volunteer hours they completed. We will also do our best to support the participant in their next steps.

Objectives

1. Provide diverse traineeship and employment opportunities for people isolated and marginalised due to disability.

2. Empower trainees to become well-adjusted, confident, independent young members of the community, who develop job-ready skills and learn to be self-sufficient.

3. Establish core programs that will ultimately see participants move into employment opportunities that were previously inaccessible to them. 

4. Continue developing trauma-informed training, orientation, and mentoring programs for new support worker employees.