Jigsaw Academy
Reshaping the pathway to mainstream employment.
Achieve your employment goals with Jigsaw.
Jigsaw trains and transitions people with disability into mainstream employment. Our flexible and self-paced pathway offers you:
- A comprehensive work-based program focused on transferable skills to get you work-ready.
- Work experience in a real business from day one.
- Short-term award-wage employment in Jigsaw’s social enterprise as a stepping stone to mainstream employment.
- Support to transition into mainstream employment that aligns with your career goals.
Does Jigsaw sound like it’s for you? Get in on the action today.
Hear from Conor, one of our trainees.
Is Jigsaw right for me?
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Are you a person with disability who aims to get mainstream employment?
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Are you NDIS funded with School Leavers Employment Supports (SLES), Finding and Keeping a Job, Core Supports or other relevant line items?
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Are you located in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, or Canberra?
To find out more about Jigsaw, or ask a question, click the link below.
Shape your career path with Jigsaw.
Jigsaw Academy: Trainee | Work-based training in action
When you join Jigsaw, you’ll start in Jigsaw Academy. In Academy, you learn work-readiness soft skills through group sessions and one-to-one discussions.
There are 20 skills in the Jigsaw Academy curriculum, including communication, accountability, focus, problem-solving, reliability, and more. They are designed to get you ready for any workplace, so that you can pursue a career in the industry of your choice. As you learn the skills, you can practice them each day with work experience in Jigsaw’s business. Everyone learns at their own pace. Some people might be good at a skill straight away, but others need to have more training sessions before they feel confident.
From day one, we’ll help you start planning the career you want and developing the skills to get there. Once you can consistently demonstrate all 20 skills and there is a job opportunity, you may be eligible to apply for award-wage employment with Jigsaw. Some people choose not to progress to a job with Jigsaw. They might return to studying or go straight into a mainstream job. Jigsaw can support you in following your goals, even if these change.
Jigsaw Digital: Paid Trainee | Employment skills in action
If you progress to a paid traineeship in Jigsaw, you will help deliver on contracts for Jigsaw’s business clients. These clients include local and national businesses, and local and state governments.
You might be working to convert old paper records into digital records, doing tasks like document preparation, scanning, and quality control. You could also be processing insurance claims or doing data entry. You’ll continue your professional development in regular one-to-one meetings with your manager and continue to develop your skills. A paid traineeship with Jigsaw can help you whether or not you want an office job. It adds paid work experience to your CV, which can be important for getting your next job.
Jigsaw Connect | Mainstream employment in action
When you are confident and ready for mainstream employment, we’ll work with you to find an opportunity that matches your skills, interests and career goals.
We have a great network of disability-confident employers, so you can be sure of a supportive environment when you arrive. You will also play a key role in writing, and training your employer on, your support plan. When you secure a role, we’ll check in with both you and your manager regularly to ensure you are settling in well, and to help you navigate any concerns.
Check out our latest blogs and media …
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Does Jigsaw sound like it’s for you? Get in on the action today.
Our locations.
Jigsaw is currently operating in Frenchs Forest, Sydney and Mt Gravatt, Brisbane, Abbotsford, Melbourne, Adelaide CBD and Canberra. If you are interested in learning more about our program or locations contact us below.
FAQs
What types of disability does Jigsaw support?
Jigsaw is open to people with a whole range of disabilities with varying levels of support requirements. Our offices are set up to be accessible with a range of breakout spaces and various other accommodations. Our training programs are flexible and individually tailored with both 1:1 mentoring and group training with experienced support workers.
How are participants supported at Jigsaw?
We have a team of dedicated work trainers (they are experienced support workers too) that work with our Trainees throughout the day. We are very much focused on understanding each Trainee’s employment goals and how best to support each individual to achieve those goals. We offer a range of group training as well as 1:1 mentoring support. Some of our Trainees are also supported with personal care and meal assistance.
What does the Jigsaw training program consist of?
Jigsaw’s program is based on the comprehensive Government framework of employment competencies. This framework is used by both corporate and Government organisations to assess employees applying for vacancies. Jigsaw has taken each of these competencies and developed 20 comprehensive training modules.
These competencies are:
Punctuality, reliability, prioritisation, organisation, focus, professional presentation, following instructions, following procedures, following policies, flexibility, professional communication, teamwork, workplace relationships, feedback, stress management, ethical behaviour, problem solving & innovation, accuracy, accountability, continued professional development.
What does a day at Jigsaw look like?
A day at Jigsaw consists of learning, working and socialising. There are team meetings, work tasks such as file management, scanning, data entry and quality control, as well as group training and individual training. There are breaks scheduled throughout the day to eat, relax or catch up with work colleagues.
What if I don’t want a job in documentation data management?
No problem. We’re not here to train documentation and data management job candidates. We simply use this business as a means to train people in the soft skills of work and get them job-ready so they can pursue their own individualised employment goals in whatever industry they choose. Everyone’s journey will look different. We have had Trainees become web developers, support workers, admin staff, travel agents and junior planners, just to name a few.
How long will it take me to progress through the pathway and secure mainstream employment?
Unfortunately we cannot provide guidance around timings through the Jigsaw pathway; our person-centred approach means that we work with each person individually, and they progress at their own rate aligned with their skills and goals. For example, Britt accelerated through the pathway and secured mainstream employment in record time, whilst Sam took a few years to build up his confidence and skills. Both now work for the same employer! Some of our trainees, like Liam, choose to transition into mainstream employment straight from Academy, having developed the valuable transferable skills, confidence and mindset to secure a job without paid employment at Jigsaw. Some return to study or realise mainstream employment is not the right path for them. Jigsaw supports all of our trainees in following their goals, even if they change.
Do all trainees progress to a paid traineeship at Jigsaw?
No, they don’t. Once trainees consistently demonstrate strong skills in the workplace, and there is a job opportunity, they will be eligible to apply for short-term award-wage employment with Jigsaw as a stepping stone to achieving their goal of mainstream employment. Some of our trainees do not wish to pursue a paid traineeship as they are not interested in the work tasks involved in the role. Some return to study, explore volunteering roles or pursue mainstream employment straight from Academy. So, we work with our trainees to explore and secure opportunities when they are right for the individual and the business.
Do I need specialist skills to get a paid traineeship at Jigsaw?
To be invited to apply for a paid traineeship, you must consistently demonstrate all 20 skills taught in Jigsaw Academy. You must also showcase a level of proficiency in the tasks required to do the job. Proficiency in the skills required to obtain a paid traineeship will be discussed in reviews, which take place every six months.
How do participants travel to Jigsaw?
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide transport, however, we are happy to link you to suitable services within your local area. Some of our participants also carpool, which our Community Engagement Leads can help facilitate.
Is Jigsaw a Disability Employment Service (DES) or an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE)?
No, Jigsaw is an innovative social enterprise that trains and transitions people into work. Whilst an ADE will provide supported employment and a DES will place candidates with disability into open employment, Jigsaw offers a training pathway where trainees build job-readiness skills, gain paid professional experience and are supported to transition into open employment once they are job-ready. Our holistic approach means you don’t have to go through a different service provider for each stage of the training, experience and transition pathway, and it means you can progress at your own pace.
How many days a week do participants attend?
It depends entirely on the individual, but usually between 1 and 3 days per week.
How long does the Jigsaw training program last?
Training at Jigsaw is not time-bound, we take an individual approach to learning and the pace for everyone is slightly different. There are 20 modules that are required to be completed as part of the initial training.
An average training journey might take from 12 to 18 months, however, it is important that people work towards their goals in their own time.
What is the NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a new way of providing support for Australians with a disability, as well as to their families and carers. The scheme takes a lifetime approach to ensuring that Australians with disability will have the necessary support they need to live an ordinary life.
Who is eligible to access the NDIS scheme?
The NDIS is accessible to those who:
- Have a permanent and significant disability
- Are under the age of 65 when you first enter the scheme
- People who live in Australia and have Australian residency
If you are eligible, the NDIS will provide funding for reasonable and necessary supports that are required for you to live your life and reach your goals.
What are the most common NDIS funding categories that participants use to access support at Jigsaw?
- Capacity Building Employment (Finding and Keeping a Job)
- School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)
- Core Support
- Assistance with Social and Community Participation
Is Jigsaw an NDIS Registered Service Provider?
Jigsaw is a social enterprise of Fighting Chance Australia: an NDIS Registered Provider (Provider Number 4050003203). This means that participant’s NDIS funds can be NDIA managed, plan-managed, or self-managed, when attending Jigsaw.
What are the NDIS prices for support services at Jigsaw?
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) appoints price controls by setting the prices that registered providers can charge for those services. As a registered NDIS provider, Fighting Chance (Jigsaw is a social enterprise empowered by Fighting Chance) charges the NDIS prices for support services.
Fighting Chance is also compliant with the NDIA’s eligibility terms to use the Temporary Transformation Payment (TTP) conditional loading and will use the TTP prices where applicable.
For more details, please refer to the NDIS price guide on the Fighting Chance website.
What ratio are participants typically supported at?
The majority of NDIS participants who become Trainees are supported at a 1:3 ratio for 5 hours and receive 1 hour of 1:1 support, on each day they attend.
I don’t have NDIS funding. Can I still attend Jigsaw?
You need to use your NDIS funding to attend Jigsaw. If you do not have an NDIS plan, please visit this page on the Fighting Chance website for more information about how to apply.
I have another question. Who can I ask?
If you have any other questions about Jigsaw or how your NDIS Plan funds can be used (including if your available funding is different to the categories mentioned above, or if your support funding is non-NDIS, or about the support ratio that will best suit your needs at Jigsaw), please contact us.
e: hello@fightingchance.org.au
p: 1300 166 734
We want to hear from you!
If you would like to learn more about Jigsaw Academy, please get in touch by sending us an enquiry below, or call us on 1300 166 734. If you have a question, perhaps check our frequently asked questions first!
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