NDCO Program
Western Sydney University is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Education, Skills and Employment to host two National Disability Coordination Officers (NDCOs) that coordinate two regions that span Greater Western Sydney and South West Sydney. For further information on region boundaries please click on the links below:
What does the NDCO program aim to do
The NDCO program works strategically to assist people with a disability to access and participate in tertiary education and subsequent employment, and seeks to address and reduce systemic barriers and build linkages with stakeholders to improve participation in tertiary education and subsequent employment. The NDCO Program operates within the framework of the Disability Discrimination Act and the Disability Standards for Education 2005.
The NDCO Program objectives are to:
- improve linkages between schools, tertiary education providers, employment service providers and providers of disability programs and assistance at all government levels;
- improve transitions for people with disability between school / community and tertiary education, and then to subsequent employment; and
- improve participation by people with disability in tertiary education and subsequent employment.
Who do the NDCOs work with
NDCOs work with a variety of stakeholders at a strategic level to support and foster collaboration in order to achieve the objectivities of the NDCO program.
The key stakeholders NDCOs work with include:
- schools, including government, catholic and independent;
- tertiary education institutions, including universities, Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes, community colleges, Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), Group Training Organisations (GTOs) and alternative education program providers;
- employment agencies, including Disability Employment Service (DES) providers, Job Services Australia (JSA) providers, the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC), employer groups and peak bodies;
- disability services and community agencies that support people with disability;
- mainstream government program which operate in the education, training and employment sectors, particularly those focused on transitions; and
- stakeholders that provide relevant services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Source: https://www.education.gov.au/national-disability-coordination-officer-programme
Further information can be found on the NDCO guidelines on the Department of Education, Skills and Training website or by following the link: https://docs.education.gov.au/node/33795
The Western Sydney and South West Sydney NDCO website highlights further information on supports and upcoming events.
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