Moving to Tertiary Study/Employment

Resources Worth a Look!

Many thanks to the Tasmanian RDLO for permission to use some information from the 'Getting Started' page, part of the Gateways website.

Moving Forward
TAFE
Universities
Adult Education
Other Training Providers
Employment
Resources and Publications

Page last updated April 2002

Moving Forward Top

So you have a disability and you're wondering where to go from here. If it all seems a bit confusing, don't worry. It just takes a bit of time to work out which option is best for you. The first thing to get straight is that your disability need not limit your options. You have the right to the same education, training and employment opportunities as every other Australian. These rights are protected by the Disability Discrimination Act.

Sometimes it isn’t easy gathering all the information you'll need to make informed decisions about future directions. The best thing to do is plan ahead and talk to staff at your school - Support Unit, Careers Adviser, School Counsellor, Year Adviser - or, for those who have left school and are looking for work or considering higher education, other agencies focussed on assisting people with a disability obtain employment, and contacts at TAFEs and universities (which are all listed below).

Let's start by deciding whether you want to do some further study to improve your chances of getting a job. Whether you are going straight from school, or are a mature age student, there are a number of options open to you. Each of the educational institutions listed below have staff who can advise you about the support that is available, help you to decide which course to choose, and assist you with enrolment and so on. You may be worried about what it's going to cost or what financial assistance is available. There have been some changes made recently so check out this financial information carefully.

For those who may be moving into employment, a new package from NSW called Education to Employment, produced by NSW RDLOs, is a goldmine of useful information.

You should also visit the Centrelink page 'Services and Programs for Injured, Ill or Disabled People' which links to a range of important information.

TAFEs Top

.........are great places to learn skills for work. They have a variety of courses and there are TAFE institutes in each of the major centres. Visit the 'Regional Higher Education Contacts' page on this website for local information.

The TAFE NSW Career Launch Site also contains comprehensive lists of TAFE courses available, and college locations in NSW. It contains an "on-line" database where you can select courses by areas of interest or colleges by geographic location
TAFE Learning Gateway - also worth a visit

Universities Top

.........are the way to go for those professions which require a degree. There are Universities throughout Australia, and many also have courses that you can do from home. The following links will be useful ...

Victorian Regional Disability Liaison Unit (RDLU) has produced a series of information sheets on a range of topics relevant to studying at University.
Towards Success - a series of study guides which contain study skills and resources for students with a range of disabilities. They are applicable to students who are currently studying, or intending to study, in higher education.
'U book' - a NSW publication developed for the use of Year 12 students with a disability as a self-help guide to university study.
'Making It Happen' - an excellent publication, and a very useful resource book and planner for students who have a disability and who are considering post-school options.
Reaching Higher Resource Book: A Self-Help Guide for Prospective Students is also worth a look (see Resources and Publications below for additional links).
Which Course? Which University - a directory of courses, and the universities which offer them, is also a useful resource.
National Directory of University Disability Liaison Officers

When it does come time to enrol in University, if that's what you've decided to do, the Australasian Network of Students With Disabilities (ANSWD) (for tertiary students) may be useful to participate in. To subscribe to the mailing list send an e-mail to majordomo@mail-g.deakin.edu.au with 'subscribe anzswd-list' somewhere in the message (without quotes), or see their web page http://www.deakin.edu.au/answd.

Adult Education Top

.........if it's been a long time since you were at school, your study skills or literacy are a bit rusty, or you are just wanting to do a short course for interest, Adult Education may be the place for you. It may also be a stepping stone to further study at TAFE or University. Have a look at

Adult Learning Australia Incorporated
Adult Learning Online
Australian National Training Authority
Centre for Adult Education (CAE)
Converse and Company - The online newspaper of Women in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE), an Australian feminist network
NSW Board of Adult and Community Education
NSW Board of Vocational Education and Training
The TAFE NSW Career Launch Site contains comprehensive lists of TAFE courses available and college locations in NSW. It contains an "on-line" database where you can select courses by areas of interest or colleges by geographic location
WEA courses

........ more links to Adult Education coming

Other Training Providers Top

.......if you are unemployed and you think tertiary education might be a bit much for you at this stage, there may be other options available through training providers such as Group Training Companies. Many of these also provide support for people who have a disability.

You should also have a look at the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) website, and follow the links to 'Lists of Training Packages'. You can search by area of interest and find out where courses are offered and who provides them.

The National Training Information Service (NTIS) database on vocational education and training in Australia is also worth a visit. It contains detailed information on courses, qualifications, training packages, competency standards, and training organisations. The 'Career Information' link takes you through to lists of courses that would be required to work in the area that you have nominated, and how to contact the providers who offer these courses.

Employment Top

The Education to Employment package, produced by NSW RDLOs, is an excellent first stop for graduates seeking employment. It also has loads of useful information for secondary students and people in the community as well.

The Commonwealth Department of Familiy and Community Services webpage - Support for People with a Disability - is also worth a look, along with their Disability Program page. There is also assistance in finding employment through CRS Australia, as well as through the list of agencies below. The Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment (ODEOPE) has a website to help people find jobs in the NSW Public Sector - it includes how to apply for positions, adjustments, lists of employment agencies and much more.

Don't forget the Australian JobSearch Site - a Government website where you can access every job advertised throughout Australia region by region, state by state, or in the whole of Australia at once. The site is updated daily, and has useful information about resume preparation and much more. DEST also has the book, the 'Job Guide', available on the web as well - go to http://www.detya.gov.au/jobguideonline/.

For graduates who are thinking of going straight into work, there are a number of organisations and programs that may be able to assist you. If you have finished your tertiary course and are looking for work, we have some hints for graduates seeking employment and some information about programs and assistance that are available.

The University of Western Australia has an excellent Access Employment website which contains a 'career and job-finding information for graduates with disabilities and medical conditions' resource called UNLOCK YOUR FUTURE.

Employers sometimes have concerns about employing people with disability, so some hints about how to respond to common concerns may be useful. Experience from other people who have gained employment is available through profiles of graduates with disability.

Coming soon.......a comprehensive list of regional specialist employment agencies who assist people with a disability, along with information on opportunities for supported employment, will be available shortly and linked from this section.

Hunter Region

Employment Assistance for People with a Disability

Castle Personnel Services Incorporated
Suite 7, Cooks Hill Commercial Centre
235 Darby Street, Cooks Hill, 2300
Phone: (02) 4929 7711, Fax (02) 4929 7713, Email: castle@castlepersonnel.com.au
They also have an office in Maitland, phone: (02) 4934 3022
CRS Australia - List of all offices in Australia
CRS Australia - Gosford
Shop 1, 125 Donnison Street, Gosford, 2250
Phone: (02) 4323 2798, Fax: (02) 4325 1273
CRS Australia - Maitland
33-35 St Andrews Street, Maitland, 2320
Phone: (02) 4934 1988, Fax: (02) 4934 1698
CRS Australia - Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Region
Level 3, 97 Scott Street, Newcastle, 2300
Phone: (02) 4960 4300, Fax: (02) 4960 4333
CRS Australia - Port Macquarie
85 William Street, Port Macquarie, 2444
Phone: (02) 6583 7866, Fax: (02) 6583 7359
CRS Australia - Tamworth
Suite 1, 493 Peel Street, Tamworth, 2340
Phone: (02) 6766 8555. Fax: (02) 6766 8061
CRS Australia - Taree
86-88 Albert Street, Taree, 2430
Phone: (02) 6551 0822, Fax: (02) 6551 0890
CRS Austraia - Wyong
28 Hely Street, Wyong, 2259
Phone: (02) 4351 1855, Fax: (02) 4351 1841
Disability Employment Services in NSW - A list of community-based Disability Employment Services in NSW
Disability Services Australia - Employment Services
Employment National - 133 444
Offices at Cessnock, Charlestown, Hamilton, Nelson Bay and Maitland
Hunter LabourForce Solutions
115A South Street, Telarah, 2320
Phone: (02) 4932 8599, Fax: (02) 4932 4286
Job Network - Government referral service to local providers - 136268
Mission Employment
Newcastle: (02) 4925 3433
Charlestown: (02) 4942 2133
Cardiff: (02) 4953 6000
Toronto: (02) 4959 9488
Maitland: (02) 4933 9600
Practical Employment Services
GPO Box 2235, Gosford, 2250
Phone: (02) 4323 4966, Fax (02) 4323 4329
Royal Blind Society
63 Laman Street, Newcastle, 2300
Phone: (02) 4929 3361, Fax: (02) 4926 5398
Specialist Employment Agencies in NSW - part of the Education to Employment Package - browse by type of disability and location of services

More information will be included as it becomes available....... Top

Resources and Publications Top

The following resources will also help to point you in the right direction:

'Unlock Your Future' - a University of Western Australia resource which contains 'careers and job-finding information for graduates with disabilities and medical conditions'
Australian JobSearch Site - a Government website where you can access every job advertised throughout Australia region by region, state by state, or in the whole of Australia at once. The site is updated daily, and has useful information about resume preparation and much more.
CRS Australia (formerly Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service) - for assistance in obtaining employment
Disability Advocacy Service - Hunter (DASH) - (02) 4927 0111, and link to their Hunter Disability Services page
’Education to Employment’ - provides information for university students with a disability who have finished their studies and who are looking for work
'Job Guide' - DEST has this book, which is circulated yearly to Year 10 students, online at http://www.detya.gov.au/jobguideonline/
Links to Assist People with a Disability find Employment
''Making It Happen' is a resource book and planner for students who have a disability and who are considering post-school options
National List of University Disability Liaison Officers - to contact Australian DLO's and to access university disability information, and another site at http://www.anu.edu.au/disabilities/othunis.html
Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment (ODEOPE) has a website to help people find jobs in the NSW Public Sector - it includes how to apply for positions, adjustments, lists of employment agencies and much more
Reaching Higher Resource Book: A Self-Help Guide for Prospective Students
Self-Advocacy and Disclosure
Towards Success - a series of study guides which contain study skills and resources for students with a range of disabilities. They are applicable to students who are currently studying, or intending to study, in higher education
'Ubook' - NSW transition book for secondary students into Higher Education
Universities Disabilities Co-operative Projects NSW - includes resources for secondary students
Universities Admission Centre - 'Applicants with a Disability' and 'Educational Access Scheme' for students experiencing disadvantage, including disability or chronic illness
Which Course? Which University - a DEST directory of courses and the universities which offer them

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