Pathways to Employment (P2E) was a small, proof-of-concept trial to test the efficacy of mainstream employment pathway support for young people in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Despite implementation constraints associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, this evaluation shows that the P2E trial generated encouraging results, as well as highlighting areas for further development.

Key findings:

• The P2E program model contributed to positive outcomes for participants, notably by shifting attitudes about their capability and their employment prospects. It generated an encouraging number of education and employment outcomes.
• The Advantaged Thinking practice which informed the P2E model was helpful in ‘undoing’ the effects of negative community attitudes, including low expectations of the capacities of people with disability, which are absorbed by young people with disability.
• COVID-related lockdowns meant that delivery of the P2E model was largely restricted to an online mode which may not have suited some young people with disability, and particularly those with learning and psychosocial disability.
• In addition, demand-side activities to engage local employers could not be implemented during lockdown. As a result, the trial focused largely on the supply-side activities of supporting young people to develop their strengths and explore their employment aspirations.