Preparing allied health, nursing, and education students for work integrated learning experiences in the disability sector: An evaluation of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) training package for Australian universities
Research Grant 2022
The disability sector is a rapidly growing employment context for professionals entering the fields of allied health, nursing, and education, largely due to the availability of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding. The majority of allied health and education students in Australia are mandated to participate in work integrated learning, and they often end up working with people who are part of the NDIS.
The main aims of this research were to work with NDIS consumers and the community to develop a training package (the NDIS Toolbox), and to broadly disseminate this training to students studying allied health, nursing, and education at Australian universities. We aimed to evaluate students’ engagement in the training package, as well as how effectively it equipped students to undertake workplace-based work integrated learning experiences (e.g., fieldwork) where they require an understanding of the NDIS.
The NDIS Toolbox garnered substantial online engagement, evidenced by over 56,551 views of video content. A sample of 121 undergraduate and postgraduate students across 18 Australian universities took part in the pre- and post-training evaluation of the training package. A small group of these students also completed in-depth qualitative interviews to reflect on the impact of the NDIS Toolbox on their learning and preparedness for the workplace. The findings indicated that before training, students had relatively limited knowledge and confidence regarding working with the NDIS. Post-training, students’ knowledge and confidence improved, and we obtained strong positive feedback regarding the training’s perceived relevance and effectiveness at preparing them to work alongside NDIS participants in work integrated learning experiences and post-graduation employment.
The NDIS Toolbox allowed students to learn from shared stories of NDIS stakeholders as a powerful method of learning. The data presented in this report indicate that students who have completed the training are better equipped to deliver inclusive, high-quality services as they move into work integrated learning experiences throughout university and as they move into the workforce. The online nature of the NDIS Toolbox means that future students may continue to engage in these resources, which may continue to advance students’ effective engagement with consumers and build their capacity to deliver inclusive, high-quality services.
The NDIS Toolbox can be accessed via this link: https://curtinndistoolbox.weebly.com/