Loading

Our Research is backed by decades of experience and global partnerships that ensure that we stay at the forefront of disability employment research. Our mission since our inception has and remains focused on improving the evidence base for employment practice, with a specialisation in Customised Employment.

CDERP College is recognised globally for its excellence in disability and Customised Employment training. Supported by our long-term technical alliance with Griffin Hammis Associates, the pioneers in Customised Employment, CDERP College develops training based on research and in response to what we see in practice—evidence-based, practice-informed.

Work First is where we put everything into practice. Work First is a dedicated NDIS employment provider that utilises Customised Employment with ACRE accredited and trained staff. It’s where meaningful employment is created and careers planned. It’s where research becomes practical solutions.

Why Choose CDERP

The Centre for Disability Employment Research and Practice (CDERP) was established over a decade ago as Australia’s independent Centre of Excellence in Disability Employment. Born out of the urgent need to bridge the gap between research and practice, CDERP delivers solutions that tackle real-world challenges, equipping practitioners, informing policymakers, empowering families, and supporting Australians with disability and employers alike.

Today, disability employment is evolving rapidly, reshaped by the complexities of the NDIS, shifting DES models, and international commitments under the UNCRPD. CDERP stands at the forefront of this transformation. Through an applied research framework and an extensive global network, we develop evidence-driven solutions that are deeply contextualised to the Australian environment while benchmarked against the highest international standards.

Our work is anchored in pioneering systems that integrate Customised Employment (CE) as a whole-of-system strategy, not just as a practitioner technique, but as a lever for sustainable workforce participation. By embedding the Psychologically Informed Employment Counselling Framework (PIE-CF) and shaping fidelity and quality through tools like CEOFECT and CEQAF, we create an ecosystem where individuals build both employment skills and psychological capacity to thrive.

This approach culminates in our internationally recognised training and capacity-building programs. Delivered through CDERP College, we offer a portfolio of disability employment qualifications, including our flagship CDERP Customised Employment Professional (CCEP) certification, developed with the support of our technical partners; Griffin Hammis Associates, the global pioneers of CE. As the only ACRE-accredited provider outside the United States, we ensure our curricula meet rigorous ACRE/APSE 1st Competency standards, continuously refined through practitioner feedback and emerging evidence.

Through our Work First Customised Employment partnerships, we empower service providers to implement world-class Discovery and Customised Employment. At the same time, our financial models, organisational fidelity tools, and ESME framework drive systemic reform by aligning provider incentives, government funding sustainability, and participant outcomes.

 

Our impact is globally recognised. The Zero Project has affirmed that our work is “directly aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. By addressing the needs and rights of persons with disabilities, you are contributing to the global effort to create a more just, equitable, and inclusive society, a world with zero barriers.” (August 2024).

In an era demanding real-world expertise, academic rigour, and solutions that are both peer-reviewed and practice-proven, CDERP stands alone. Talk to us today to explore how we can partner to transform disability employment outcomes in your organisation, your community, and across Australia.

 

home-img1

Discovery

“Discovery is not……spending time on a laptop computer, administering assessments, taking notes, using checklists, ranking competencies or comparing. Discovery does not include predicting or guessing what a person can do or identifying jobs that are available in the labor market.”

Awesome People Talk About CDERP

“Phenomenal group of researchers and practitioners advancing inclusive workplace practices in Australia!!!”

September, 2018.

Thomas Golden
Executive Director
K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability
Cornell University, New York

“I really like your Job Development Manual. Informative but not too long. Practical, but well grounded in best practices. And I really like the conversational tone of it.”

David Mank
Professor Emeritus University of Indiana
Senior Advisor
Office of Disability Employment Policy.                                US Department of Labor

“I just think that the impact of this first part of Discovery on you is quite significant and I would be right in saying that the outcomes that you would assume for clients would be so different to what you might have considered in the past.”

Provider staff member after first day of Customised Employment training

You have questions? Write to us and we will start a conversation.
Dr Peter Smith, Director

Contact Phone

1300 001 349

E-mail

info@cderp.com.au

Office Address

Suite 403, Fourth Floor 198 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands Vic 3008 Office by appointment only

Have a question?

Send us an email




    We bring our global perspective and experience to your unique local challenges.

    ABOUT US

    At CDERP we use an Applied Research framework to deliver research and practice-based solutions to disability employment services.

    CONTACTS

    Suite 403, 198 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands. VIC 3008 Phone: 1300 001 349. Mobile: 0423 035863 info@cderp.com.au ABN: 12 609 029 558

    SOCIAL

    Join our social networks, get news and promotions

    Copyright © 2024 CDERP. All Rights Reserved

    I/We pay my/our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. I/we celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders

    of all communities who also work and live on this land.