The Workshop Program
Hands-on NDIS workshop program in Bairnsdale
Practical projects for young people in East Gippsland - fixing, building and making real things, with the same people you already know from ESports Collective.
Talk to us about the workshop →
What is the Workshop Program?
The Workshop Program is a new part of ESports Collective. It takes the same approach we use in our gaming sessions - start with what someone is into, and build from there - and applies it to practical work: tools, timber, engines, and fixing things. Gaming has always been our way of getting people through the door. The workshop can be another - a different interest, the same idea.
It grew out of two things already happening. One of our participants is getting an old car ready to race, and that work was already going on in our carpark. And Chris, one of our support workers and a qualified carpenter, took on some maintenance jobs around the venue - which got us thinking about how many practical jobs a business like ours needs done, and how many young people would enjoy doing them.
So we've set our carpark up properly as a workshop. Benches, storage and fit-out will be made by the people who use it, and we already have a good collection of tools ready to go.
Same team, same values, new space. The program sits under ESports Collective, with NDIS supports delivered by Gippsland Care Collective. Sessions are structured and booked in, not drop-in.
A finished project says more than a resume ever could. Not everyone fits a classroom or a standard workplace, and that says nothing about what they can do. A finished project is something you can point to - skills, confidence, and a track record a future employer can actually see.
Which part of the workshop fits?
The workshop is one space, but there's more than one way to use it. Depending on your goals and your NDIS plan, there are four ways in. Nobody has to move through all of them - some people will be happy coming to sessions, others might find a project turns into paid work, or a small business of their own.
Workshop Sessions
Your introduction to the workshop - learn the tools and try practical tasks. Community access (Core).
Project Builds
Take on a real project with a clear goal, like getting an old car ready to race. Capacity Building.
The Workshop Crew
Paid Supported Work doing maintenance and building jobs for the business. Supports in Employment (Core).
Your Own Repair Business
Set up a small micro-enterprise offering affordable repairs to locals. Capacity Building or Core.
How does each part of the program work?
Each path has its own format and funding. We'll work out the best fit with you and your Support Coordinator.
Workshop Sessions
Where everyone starts. Structured sessions with 1:1 support, for participants who are new to practical work and want to give it a go. You learn how to use tools safely, how the workshop runs, and how to plan a small job. Each week you try something different - sanding and painting, changing a tyre, pulling apart an old lawnmower to see how it works. No experience needed.
Each session has a clear shape: arrive, settle in and go over the plan, put safety gear on and check the tools, work on the task with breaks when you need them, then pack up, clean the tools and talk about next time. Your support worker works alongside you, helps where it's useful, and steps back when it isn't.
Funding: Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation (Core).
Project Builds
For people who want to work toward something specific. We agree on the goal together, break it into manageable steps, and work on it each week in 1:1 sessions. Along the way you build practical skills, learn to plan a job, solve problems when things don't go to plan, and see a project through to the end. Progress is recorded and shared with you, ready for plan reviews.
Funding: Capacity Building - we'll work out the best fit with you and your Support Coordinator.
The Workshop Crew
Part of our Supported Work Program. A business like ours always has practical jobs that need doing, and instead of bringing someone in from outside, we want them done by young people who are learning the work. Paid shifts with 1:1 support: building the workshop's own benches, shelving and storage, venue maintenance like small repairs and touch-up painting, set jobs on a set day, and looking after the tools. Chris is helping shape the roles and the way the work is taught.
Pay: crew members are paid under the Supported Employment Services Award, with the hourly rate set through the Supported Wage System. The assessment looks at the time you take to do the work compared to an average worker - not whether every task gets finished. Each role is shaped around the person doing it.
Funding: Supports in Employment (Core).
Your Own Repair Business
Lots of people in our community need small jobs done but can't justify the cost of a tradesperson. A micro-enterprise is a small business you run yourself, offering jobs like flatpack assembly, hanging pictures and curtain rails, fixing gates, fences and squeaky doors, or repairing outdoor furniture. You decide what you offer, when you work and how much you take on. We help with the parts that can feel overwhelming - planning and pricing, practising in the workshop first, getting an ABN and a way for people to book you, and a support worker on the job while you build confidence.
Repair jobs stay small and suitable for a handyman. Anything that needs a licensed trade, like electrical or plumbing work, is passed on to a qualified professional.
Funding: Capacity Building or Core, depending on your plan.
What could a Project Build look like?
You choose the goal. Here are a few to get the conversation started.
Strip back and modify an old car for a motorsport event.
Design and build a piece of furniture from start to finish.
Restore an old bike, mower or small engine.
Learn a set of tools safely and confidently, and keep a photo record of your work to show future employers or a TAFE course.
Getting an old car race-ready
In our carpark, one of our participants is working on a staff member's old car that was headed for the scrap heap. The goal is to enter it in the Maffra and District Car Club Hillclimb at Boisdale - a timed run up a hill, one car at a time. So far the seats are out, changes have been made, and the next steps are planned. When it's finished, the car itself will be a record of skills a future employer can see.
Real work, real results
The Workshop Program is new, and we're building it as we go - literally. Five things guide how we run it.
Interest comes first
We start with what you're into - cars, timber, tools - and build the skills from there.
Something to show for it
A finished project, a set of skills, or paid work you can put on a resume. Progress you can see.
Built around the person
Tasks, pace and roles are shaped to suit the person doing them, not the other way around.
Connected to everything else
Same team, same values, and the same community as the rest of ESports Collective.
Honest about where we're at
This program is new. We'll be clear about what's running now and what's still being set up.
Workshop Program questions we hear most
Straight answers about how the workshop works.
What is the ESports Collective Workshop Program?
A hands-on NDIS program at our Bairnsdale venue where young people learn to fix, build and make real things - from workshop sessions and project builds through to paid Supported Work and support to start a small repair business. NDIS supports are delivered by Gippsland Care Collective.
Do I need any experience with tools?
No. Everyone starts with Workshop Sessions, where you learn to use tools safely, how the workshop runs and how to plan a small job, with a support worker alongside you.
How is the Workshop Program funded?
It depends on the path. Workshop Sessions use Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation (Core). Project Builds use Capacity Building. The Workshop Crew uses Supports in Employment (Core). A repair micro-enterprise can be Capacity Building or Core, depending on your plan.
Can I drop in to the workshop?
No - sessions are structured and booked in, so you have the same support and a clear plan for what you're working on each time.
How do I find out which path fits?
Talk to us with your Support Coordinator or Local Area Coordinator. We'll look at your goals and your plan and suggest a starting point - and you can change direction later as you work out what you enjoy. Call 0485 835 536 or make an NDIS referral.
Let's talk about what might fit
We're happy to hear from participants, families, Support Coordinators and Local Area Coordinators about whether the Workshop Program might suit.
Make an NDIS referral →or call 0485 835 536 · hello@esportscollective.com.au