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 a decade ago as an independent Centre of Excellence in Disability Employment in response to the lack of focus on disability employment in Australia. In particular, the translation of research into practice that solves real-world problems and offers solutions to practitioners, policymakers, families, Australians with a disability and employers. Disability Employment is evolving rapidly under the influence of the NDIS and DES and their unique challenges. CDERP uses an Applied Research framework, our global network, and experience to deliver real-world solutions unique to your organisation and client demands.
Our unique approach to developing solutions based on research and practice allows us to create and offer world-leading training in disability employment practice. Available through the CDERP College, we provide a range of skills training specific to disability employment, including our globally recognised CDERP Customised Employment Professional (CCEP) program developed with the support of our technical partners, Griffin Hammis Associates – the pioneers of Customised Employment. In late 2024, we became the only member of the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE) outside of the USA. ACRE is responsible for accrediting Customised Employment training and curricula against the recognised ACRE / APSE 1st Competencies. With that, we revised and updated our Customised Employment, Discovery and Disability Practice programs that reflect the competencies and changes in policy and practice needs, which are driven by feedback and what we see in practice today.
Our Work First Customised Employment program partners with service providers to enable them to deliver world-class Customised Employment and Discovery. Talk to us today and find out how we can assist you.
Our programs have global recognition. The prestigious Zero Project has stated that “our work is directly aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). 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).
What more could you ask about real-world expertise, academic rigour, practice-proven and peer-reviewed work?
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
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We bring our global perspective and experience to your unique local challenges.
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