Aim Higher

“Aim Higher helped me discover that I want to focus on mechanics. The team was really nice and helpful.”- John, Aim Higher participant, October 2021

An initiative developed by Community Bridging Services (CBS) Inc., Aim Higher is providing expert career planning and education to students with a disability in schools across metropolitan, regional and remote South Australia.

Working collaboratively with schools and parents, Aim Higher is striving to best prepare students with a disability for a wide range of career options, with a central focus on open employment.

CBS Inc. has identified that often the only option presented to some young people with a disability is Australian Disability Enterprises, where people normally earn well below the national minimum wage and struggle to progress into the open labour market.

We know that meaningful open employment based on a person’s strengths and interests provides substantial benefits and has consistently shown to be a key indicator of quality of life and wellbeing.

While barriers to accessing open employment are all too prevalent, we also know that it is an achievable reality with the right preparation and support.

Aim Higher has been developed to help address these barriers through providing key information, expert preparation and support.

Available to all students with a disability and/or needing additional education support in year 9+.

Aim Higher can visit your school and provide:

Teacher Information Sessions:

The Aim Higher team will visit your school to present to teachers:

  • The differences between open employment and Australian Disability Enterprises (sheltered employment)
  • The relevant supports available to assist with finding and keeping a job in open employment
  • Introduce pathways to open employment
  • Successful employment journeys from our clients and Moonlight Speakers

“The whole idea of it I thought was brilliant. It opened the eyes of the students to lots of different possibilities” – School teacher

Classroom Workshops:

The team will deliver two classroom sessions to help students complete a career action plan. This will be delivered in an individualised with the assistance of our experts. They will discuss:

  • Interests
  • Strengths
  • Values
  • Career pathways
  • Goals and options

Additionally, students will have the opportunity of discussing with an Aim Higher moonlight speaker, someone with lived experience that is currently working in open employment.

“As soon as they got into the program with the myfutures introduction I think they engaged on a different level because it was about them, it was about their interests, and I think I think it was valuable for them to be able to see there were options available to them that, potentially, they hadn’t considered before.” – School teacher.

“Yeah. I think that was probably the most powerful part of it…The next day we couldn’t shut up about listening to (Moonlight speaker) speak and how he talked about.” – School teacher

One-on-one Consultation with Parents:

On completion of the classroom-based workshops, the Aim Higher team will meet for a one-on-one consultation with parents to discuss:

  • The result of the student’s participation in the workshops
  • The pathways and supports available for the student to assist with finding and keeping a job
  • The differences between open employment and Australian Disability Enterprises (sheltered employment)
  • Successful employment journeys from our clients and Moonlight Speakers

“They brought out that side of him where he could talk and ask questions and felt comfortable doing so without feeling less than. “ Aim Higher participant parent

Work Discovery and Experience:

Once the Career Action Plan has been completed, Aim Higher will help students get a real world employment exposure and experience and will connect students to any relevant supports such as TAFE Disability Advisors, NDIS providers or Disability Employment Services providers.

“It helped me figure out exactly what I wanted to do.” – Aim Higher participant

Information Session Documents:

Aim Higher Information Sheet

Aim Higher Workbook

Aim Higher Presentation

Case study 1:

Tim is a Year 11 student who completed Aim Higher in 2021. After he completed the classroom sessions, it was suggested that Tim explored the possibility of working in a vet.

The school, the CBS team and the family successfully worked together and the result was that Tim completed a work experience at a local vet.
Although being nervous at the beginning of his placement, like anyone would be in his position, Tim was able to enter the workplace independently and enjoyed working there very much.

Tim, his mum and the school were provided with training on what are the support available in the community to access open employment and are currently in touch with a local Disability Employment Services that will assist Tim when required.

Case study 2:

Jessica is a Year 12 student who completed Aim Higher in 2021. Jessica likes educating and looking after children and this is a career occupation that came up when doing Aim Higher.

From participating in the program, Jessica decided to join the employment initiative at the local office and they have assisted her in finding a traineeship through a Registered Training Provider. As part of that, Jessica has carried out some work at a local childcare.

Jessica is excited to finish her traineeship and her future working in childcare!

For further information or to book Aim Higher for your school, please contact the Aim Higher team on (08) 8472 3356, or at