Take the LEAP: Learn, Engage, Act, Perform
LEAP is Vision Australia’s pioneering employability and leadership program for young people, aged between 14 and 18, who are preparing to tackle their personal and professional goals.
We know this is the time where your family may be starting to have those first conversations about independence, employment, or further education and sometimes you just don’t know where to start.
LEAP is a highly individualised and inclusive program that supports each young person – exactly as they need. Participants graduate LEAP with important skills in:
Emotional intelligence:
Understand self-identity, personality-type, and personal values.
Apply social skills relevant for a future workplace.
Understand disclosure and self-advocacy.
Technology:
Develop skills in the use of assistive technology, Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, emailing, calendar, and online searching, as well as other platforms required in workplace and study environments.
Friendships and teamwork:
Connect regularly in group learning activities.
Build independence and confidence to participate in social situations.
Job searching:
Identify potential career paths. Learn how to search for jobs using online platforms, as well as other avenues.
Create a personalized resume and cover letter with one-on-one consultation with Vision Australia Employment Consultant.
Networking:
Understand networking and how to do it face-to-face and online.
Create a personal elevator pitch to spark interest in the person you are ‘pitching’ to (potential employer, friend, boss).
Personal presentation:
Know how to dress professionally.
Know how to hold your body and project your voice to speak with confidence.
Complete mock interview with senior Vision Australia staff and receive personalised feedback.
As part of LEAP, participants learn invaluable insights from several industry professionals and organisations.
The program also includes a one-on-one mentor conversation with a professional in the participant’s field of interest. This is a unique opportunity for our participants to talk with an experienced professional who can give tailored career guidance.
LEAP is an amazing program that has most definitely helped feed, nurture and build much confidence in the participants. They have been able to reach that little bit further out of their comfort zones. Dom used many of these skills to apply for casual employment and make presentations for scholarships, he has applied them to leadership and team roles at school and in sport. We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to be involved in LEAP."
Ursula, mother of Dom who was one of the participants in 2019.
Friendships and connections are so important to our young people. LEAP provides our young people with the opportunity to form special bonds with other participants with similar experiences and challenges. Meetings are a safe space to share with each other their thoughts and feelings as they reflect and explore the program’s concepts.
LEAP is designed for teenagers aged 14-18 years who are blind or have low vision and participants can live anywhere in Australia.
It is a ten-month program from February to November 2024.
