Learning & Development Hub
Grow. Learn. Lead.
Building capability, confidence and career pathways across our Group.
We proudly offer a broad range of high-quality, engaging training programs designed to support your professional growth. From clinical support skills to leadership development, and everything in between – you’ll find opportunities to enhance your skills, knowledge and expertise in line with your career goals.
If you have any enquiries about your learning and development, please contact our People, Learning and Culture team on (02) 4250 2070 or training@disabilitytrust.org.au.
What's coming up - Training at a glance
Stay informed about upcoming learning opportunities across The Disability Trust, ermha365, OC Connections, Bedford and Marriott Support Services.
Our Course Spotlight helps you plan and take advantage of upcoming and newly available learning opportunities. Whether you’re completing core compliance training, or exploring development sessions to build your skills, this is your central place for session dates.
How to register for training:
If you are a TDT employee, please express interest in attending a session with your manager or team leader. If approved, they will submit an internal training requested form (rostered/non-rostered) via CiA on your behalf.
For OC Connections, Marriott, ermha365 and Bedford employees, please email training@disabilitytrust.org.au with your preferred training date and copy in your manager for approval. We will support you to follow the appropriate registration process.
Scroll through the Course Guide below to see what's coming up near you!
Upcoming Courses
Click to learn more about our courses
Manual Handling (Practical)
Medication Refresher Training
Recognising and Responding to Restrictive Practices
Working Professionally as a DSW
Mealtime Management
Compliance Focus
Our shared commitment to safety, quality and best practice
Each quarter, we focus on one or two key compliance areas to help strengthen our culture of safety and accountability.
Our first-quarter spotlight in 2026 is Medication Administration. Medication Administration training is essential from a compliance perspective to ensure staff meet legal, regulatory, and organisational requirements for safely handling and administering medications.
If you are required to complete Medication Administration training, you will be contacted by your manager or the People Learning Culture team.
LEAP - Learn, Engage, Accelerate, Perform
LEAP is our umbrella term for all our career pathway programs. Each letter stands for an important stage of your journey with us, whether you are undertaking formal studies, venturing into a new role, pursuing leadership opportunities, or becoming an expert in your field.
We can help you advance your knowledge in your vocational area by supporting you to gain formal qualifications.
Formal Fee-free Qualifications Available!
Thinking about studying and gaining a qualification? There’s no better time than now! Enrol in one of TDT’s courses to support your future aspirations.
We are now calling on Expressions of Interest for course enrolments, commencing in May 2026. If you’ve been undecided, now’s the perfect time to take advantage of this fee-free study opportunity starting 2026 strong!
Courses on offer in NSW/ ACT:
At The Disability Trust, we collaborate with trusted training providers to give our employees the opportunity to gain formal qualifications in the following areas:
Formal Qualification | RTO | Application Form |
Certificate III Individualised Support | ARC Training | |
Certificate IV in Disability | ARC Training | |
Certificate III Business | The Unleashed Collective | |
Certificate III Community Services | The Unleashed Collective | |
Certificate IV in Mental Health | Wentworth College | |
Certificate IV in Leisure Health | Wentworth College | |
Diploma in Community Services | Wentworth College |
Expressions of Interest – VIC, SA, NT & QLD
For our VIC, SA, NT & QLD employees that are wanting to get involved in any of the above courses, please reach out directly to Ellen Stratton with the below information.
- Name:
- Position:
- Manager:
- Company:
- Length of tenure:
- Mobile Number
What will completing a course mean for you?
You’ll gain a nationally recognised qualification in approximately 12-18 months of study. A commitment of three hours per week is required for online “classroom learning” outside of work hours. Additional eight hours of time commitment will be required for assignments. While most of these courses are offered fee-free, (meaning no cost to you) some courses may have a small administration fee depending on your eligibility.
Course delivery
Courses are delivered online, allowing greater flexibility to balance studies, work routine, and home life. Classes will be held weekday evenings every week. These days vary on the course and your training schedule.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, humanitarian visa holder, or New Zealand citizen.
Next steps
To register your interest, click on the corresponding application forms and the RTO will be in contact with the next steps.
For courses delivered by Wentworth College, fill in the below details and return to Ellen Stratton.
- Name:
- Mobile:
- Email:
- Postcode:
- Employer:
- Job Role:
- Course to study:
- Number of years in disability support:
From here you will be contacted by the training provider for a consultation, where you can learn more about the course and assess whether this would be a good fit for you.
Have any questions?
Please reach out to Learning and Development Specialist Ellen Stratton.
We offer an immersive leadership program designed for aspiring frontline team leaders.
Engage is a six-month development journey that guides participants through a series of targeted learning experiences, building both technical capability and people leadership skills to support career progression.
The program runs twice each year, with formal expressions of interest now open for targeted regions.
Keep an eye on communications for details on how to apply.
Accelerate is the next tier of leadership program launching in 2026. This is curated for those at the Team Leader, Supervisor, or Coordinator level who are aspiring for people leadership roles, or for newly appointed Managers. Stay tuned for more updates and openings.
Perform is the final piece of our career pathways puzzle to be built in 2027. We’re brimming with ideas on programs for project or specialist roles, senior leaders, and more!
External Training
We are committed to the upskilling and professional development of our staff, and therefore we often support professional development outside of mandatory training. Many of our staff complete public and external courses which can include sponsored training, webinars, workshops, accredited and non-accredited training.
It is great to see so many of our staff embarking on additional training but please remember it is also important to capture this information for your training records.
If you are completing training or courses outside of your organisation, please click here to complete the external training form.
Have any questions?
Please do not hesitate in contacting the People Learning Culture Team at training@disabilitytrust.org.au as the team will be more than happy to assist.
Level UP with Open Future Learning
Open Future Learning (OFL) offers top tier eLearning at your fingertips. For those with ambition to become the best you can be, this platform is for you. Modules range from 20 minutes to 3 hours in duration, focusing on topics like Autism, Communication, Sexuality and Relationships and Mental Health.
Courses are completed in your own time as an unpaid professional development opportunity. This means an appetite for nurturing your own growth beyond our standard training program is a must! You can request access to Open Future Learning by contacting Janelle Booth, Learning Platform Specialist, at Janelle.Booth@disbailitytrust.org.au.
Open Future Learning Course Spotlight
April is World Autism Understanding (or Acceptance) Month in Australia, highlighting the importance of moving beyond awareness to genuine inclusion and recognising the strengths of more than 290,900 autistic Australians. It’s also an opportunity to build more inclusive workplaces where people with disability feel supported, valued and connected every day.
To build your knowledge, a range of supplementary modules are available to all employees on Open Future Learning (OFL). We recommend starting with the 26-minute mini module, Autism: An Introduction. It offers a practical overview of autism and its impact, while encouraging a strengths-based approach that values differences.
If you find it helpful, you can explore additional modules on autism within the OFL platform. All completed modules will be recorded on your CiA training profile.
How to enrol
If you would like to enrol in this module as part of your self-directed professional development, please contact the Learning and Development team at training@disabilitytrust.org.au.
PODCAST PLUG
Duty of Care v Dignity of Risk
We all take risks and want to be the boss of our own lives. But how can providers and support workers strike a balance between supporting people to take risks and meeting their duty of care obligations?
In this episode of Frontline, Sara speaks to people with disability about the value of risk-taking and the mindset shift from asking ‘Is this safe?’ to ‘How do we make it safe?’
Get to know the people behind your growth
Annie Childs
Learning & Development Facilitator
Annie has been part of the TDT family for over 14 years. She began her journey as a Support Worker and has been delivering training for the past 13 years.
After completing her Active Support train‑the‑trainer course in Wagga, Annie started delivering Active Support training alongside Terri Goodwin, an experience she says she loved from day one. Over time, she saw just how impactful the training could be, particularly in supporting new Disability Support Workers to build confidence and succeed in their roles.
What Annie enjoys most is the energy in the room, seeing people who are genuinely engaged, curious, and committed to learning skills that will help them thrive as DSWs. Continuing to work directly with participants has also helped Annie grow as a worker herself, allowing her to keep learning and share that knowledge with others. Alongside Active Support, Annie also delivers training in Supported Decision Making.
Annie is grateful to everyone she’s trained with over the years, valuing the shared experiences and ideas that she says always leave her having learned something new.
One of her standout highlights? Jumping out of a plane with a man she was working with, an unforgettable and very happy day for them both!
Outside of work, Annie loves reading, spending time with friends, and enjoying where she lives. With plenty of interests, she’s rarely bored.
Learning Legend
We are delighted to share that, following a highly competitive interview process, Nardia Reid and Stephanie Scanes have successfully progressed to the next stage of the NSW Training Awards.
This achievement recognises their outstanding efforts and means they will attend the awards evening in celebration of completing their Certificate III and IV in Individualised Support.
It comes as no surprise that both have advanced. As dedicated leaders across our Nowra and Hunter regions, Nardia and Stephanie have delivered exceptional results—successfully completing their qualifications, graduating from the Team Leader Engage Program, and stepping into leadership roles, all while balancing study, work, and personal commitments.
Anyone who knows Nardia and Stephanie will recognise their genuine passion for the industry, particularly their commitment to advocacy and empowering others to have a voice.
We congratulate them both on this well-deserved recognition and wish them every success as they head into the awards night.
Sharing in the Success of TDT’s Nominees for Vocational Student of the Year
Share your insights
Help shape the future of learning across the Group.
We’re building this hub with you. Share your ideas, requests or suggestions for:
- Training topics
- Workshops
- Guest speakers
- New formats (webinars, microlearning, group coaching)
Your feedback helps us create learning experiences that truly support your growth.
