So You Re Finishing School What S Next?

So you’re finishing school… What’s next?

Are you finishing school this year and wondering what to do next? Yooralla has a variety of opportunities available for you.

Whether you’re interested in a job, study, volunteering, learning new skills – or just having some fun – Yooralla can support you to plan what’s next for you.

Talk to us about the programs or work options that interest you, and together we can create a pathway to achieving your goals.

I want therapy support to be more independent

Our therapists assist people with disability to develop daily living skills to become more independent at home, school, work and out in the community. We can provide comprehensive assessments, as well as individual and group-based interventions to assist you to develop particular skills. Our flexible and qualified team of experienced therapists can provide you with support across physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology and psychology.

We can support you to meet your individual goals and enhance your quality of life by:

•supporting you to overcome communication barriers, we specialise in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC),

•enhancing mobility and access to local communities by teaching you the skills you need to travel safely in the community,

•assessing and making recommendations for home and vehicle modifications for you to live more independently,

•enabling you to engage in everyday activities by developing your skills in the areas you are interested in at work, home or in the community and

•developing your social skills, forming meaningful relationships and actively participating in the community.

I want to learn new life skills

Yooralla offers a variety of programs that can support you, to build your life skills or learn new ones – from cooking to handling money, using technology or even gardening – there’s something for everyone.

Some of the most popular activities include:

•music therapy

•swimming

•gardening

•computer skills

•day trips to do other fun activities, and

•job skills and work experience.

We cater to lots of different needs and interests in a safe and supportive environment. With 16 Community Hubs (meeting places) located across Victoria, life skills programs are great places to meet new friends and get out in your local community while learning new things.

I want to study further

Talk with us about your goals and aspirations. Whether your goal is paid work or volunteering in the community, Yooralla can support you. Yooralla’s Learning Hub, located in Melbourne’s CBD, is a place dedicated to learning and development, offering a range of non-accredited training courses for people with disability.

At the Learning Hub we can support you to:

•use technology, including iPads and computers, for personal or work use

•learn about volunteering and how to get involved in your community

•build confidence to do things independently, including using public transport

•understand how to manage your money and read signs and documents

•get out in the community and enjoy new experiences with friends.

I want to build my job skills and training

Yooralla’s Employability Program is focused on building your job skills to support your pathway to employment. We can tailor a job skills program to suit your individual needs and capabilities and support you to transition into the job that is right for you.

The Employability Program consists of two streams – Preparation for Work and Job Ready. Preparation for Work is a two-year program specifically for school leavers and individuals who require intensive support. Job Ready is the next step up, for participants who have completed the Preparation for Work stream, or people who are at the supported employment level already.

Preparation for Work focuses on both education and practical training. In the first year, you will learn job skills in an education-based environment, and towards the end of the year you will transition into hands-on work experience. In the second year, we will support your continued development in a workplace, where you will be paid a training wage.

When you complete Preparation for Work, you may choose to move into the Job Ready stream – an additional year of paid on-the-job training based in a Yooralla Business Enterprise or in the community. The work could be in areas such as manufacturing, catering, gardening, warehousing, maintenance or cleaning.

Wherever you choose to start and finish your pathway to employment, Yooralla can support you to transition into the job that is right for you.

I want to start work now

If you want to work now, Yooralla supports employment opportunities for people with disability to engage in satisfying and rewarding work. We provide employment through Yooralla Business Enterprises. At these services you can gain skills in manufacturing, packing and shipping of goods, catering, agriculture, horticulture and customer service.

Yooralla can also help you learn how to plan your activities at work, communicate with colleagues, learn about occupational health and safety (OH&S) and help you to become more productive and independent at work.

I want to do something fun!

Yooralla can help you to take part in fun, adventurous or relaxing activities that you enjoy. Our Recreation Services can support you during the day, overnight, over a weekend or even to go on a holiday.

•outdoor activities like surfing, water skiing, snow skiing, scuba diving, fishing, golf, tennis, kayaking, viewing art, going to the movies, visiting a gallery or a museum.

•spending a day at the footy, the markets or having night out with your friends after catching a local band in the city, and

•travelling near and far, be it a weekend away or a few months on holidays, or

•being creative and exploring different types of art including drawing, photography, painting and sculpture.

Let us know what you’d like to do and we can work with you to make it happen.

I want support to do things my way

Want to do your own thing, explore your goals and enjoy everything your local community has to offer? Yooralla can work with you one-on-one at your home or in the community to help meet your goals and needs.

In other words, this can be anything from personal support to learning how to drive, swim or cook, to everyday support around the home and transport or supporting you to develop job skills – whatever is important to you.

Contact us

To talk about your options or for more information please contact us.

Phone: 03 9666 4500

Email:

Yooralla is a registered NDIS provider.

Need Language help?

Contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 13 14 50