Employment outcomes from VET for students with a disability are generally poorer that for students without a disability. Again, there is variation based on type of disability. Students with a disability enrolled in an apprenticeship or traineeship have better employment outcomes compared with other types of courses (Barnett 2004; Clark 2007). This may be because of the employment relationship embedded in the apprenticeship and traineeship models. Polidano (2010) confirms that completing a VET qualification not only helps people with a disability find work, it also increases their chances of maintaining employment.

Likewise, training that involves practical experience in the workplace is more likely to lead to employment for people with a disability (Dawe 2004; Clark 2007; Guenther, Falk & Arnott 2008).

A report investigating the role of VET in the welfare-to-work pathway found that VET does play a role in helping welfare-to-work target groups (including people with a disability) into work (Barnett & Spoehr 2008). However, short-term pre vocational courses alone are not likely to lead to sustainable employment although they may be useful as stepping stones to mainstream VET (Barnett & Spoehr 2008).