Our Belief
Every young person has the right to dream and achieve.
We believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to explore their potential and create a pathway to meaningful employment. Our commitment is to foster independence, confidence, and skill development through tailored, person-centred supports that adapt to the unique goals of each participant.
Our Mission
Empowering young people with disabilities to achieve their potential
Our mission is to empower people with disability to identify their strengths, enabling them to demonstrate the skills, confidence, and independence they need to achieve their life goals.
“Disability is not a pigeonhole to say you can’t do anything. It’s an opportunity and a possibility to learn differently. You have all the opportunities in the world.”
Richard BransonFounder of Virgin Australia
Our Values
Connection, Optimism, Resilience, and Engagement (CORE) – guides everything we do.
We place huge importance on fostering genuine relationships, creating a sense of belonging, and ensuring every participant feels seen, heard and importantly understood. Our approach empowers individuals to develop their whole selves and to embrace opportunities with optimism, confidence and a forward-focused mindset.
Connection
We value meaningful relationships that foster collaboration and belonging, ensuring every individual feels supported and empowered to thrive.
Optimism
We focus on possibilities and solutions, inspiring confidence and a positive outlook to help individuals achieve their goals.
Resilience
We support perseverance and adaptability, helping individuals navigate challenges and grow stronger through each experience.
Engagement
We create opportunities for active participation and meaningful contributions, empowering individuals to make progress in their journeys.
Our Services
Supporting individuals through tailored services for personal growth and independence.
Our offerings include the School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES), which helps young people explore their work potential and build pathways to employment; Community Access (Life Skills), focusing on developing practical skills and fostering community connections; and Travel experiences, which provides support for safe and independent travel experiences. Each service is carefully designed to meet individual needs, build confidence, and create meaningful opportunities for participants to thrive.
Community Access (Life Skills)
- Designed to help participants develop practical skills for everyday life.
- Focus on building confidence, independence, and social connections within the community.
- Tailored to individual goals and abilities, promoting active participation in community activities.
- Includes support for learning essential life skills, such as budgeting, cooking, communication, and navigating public spaces.
- Reviewed regularly to ensure the support aligns with participants’ evolving needs and aspirations.
These supports are person-centred and tailored to equip participants with the tools they need to lead fulfilling, independent lives. With a focus on real-world application, participants gain hands-on experience in community settings to build confidence and foster meaningful connections.
School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)
- Help school leaving aged participants explore and understand their work potential.
- Focus on capacity building, developing skills, independence and confidence to work.
- Are tailored to the individual and their unique pathway to employment.
- Are available during the final years of school and directly after leaving school, generally up to two years.
- Are reviewed periodically to make sure the supports are meeting the participant’s goals.
These supports are person-centred, individually tailored, strategic and planned so participants of varying skills and needs can reach their employment goals. These supports are individualised, with a strong emphasis on trying and testing through work experience in a range of settings.
Travel experiences
- Support participants in developing skills for safe and independent travel.
- Focus on building confidence in navigating public transport, planning routes, and handling travel challenges.
- Tailored to individual needs, whether starting with assisted travel or progressing toward complete independence.
- Encourages participants to explore new environments and engage in enriching travel experiences.
- Periodically reviewed to ensure the support meets participants’ goals and fosters ongoing growth.
These supports are strategic, practical, and designed to empower participants to explore the world safely and confidently. By combining hands-on guidance with real-life practice, participants gain the skills and independence needed for successful travel experiences.
School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)
- Help school leaving aged participants explore and understand their work potential.
- Focus on capacity building, developing skills, independence and confidence to work.
- Are tailored to the individual and their unique pathway to employment.
- Are available during the final years of school and directly after leaving school, generally up to two years.
- Are reviewed periodically to make sure the supports are meeting the participant’s goals.
These supports are person-centred, individually tailored, strategic and planned so participants of varying skills and needs can reach their employment goals. These supports are individualised, with a strong emphasis on trying and testing through work experience in a range of settings.
Community Access (Life Skills)
- Designed to help participants develop practical skills for everyday life.
- Focus on building confidence, independence, and social connections within the community.
- Tailored to individual goals and abilities, promoting active participation in community activities.
- Includes support for learning essential life skills, such as budgeting, cooking, communication, and navigating public spaces.
- Reviewed regularly to ensure the support aligns with participants’ evolving needs and aspirations.
These supports are person-centred and tailored to equip participants with the tools they need to lead fulfilling, independent lives. With a focus on real-world application, participants gain hands-on experience in community settings to build confidence and foster meaningful connections.
Travel experiences
- Support participants in developing skills for safe and independent travel.
- Focus on building confidence in navigating public transport, planning routes, and handling travel challenges.
- Tailored to individual needs, whether starting with assisted travel or progressing toward complete independence.
- Encourages participants to explore new environments and engage in enriching travel experiences.
- Periodically reviewed to ensure the support meets participants’ goals and fosters ongoing growth.
These supports are strategic, practical, and designed to empower participants to explore the world safely and confidently. By combining hands-on guidance with real-life practice, participants gain the skills and independence needed for successful travel experiences.
Our Purpose
“Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” – “A person is a person through other people.”
The Zulu proverb UBUNTU, reminds us that all human beings are interconnected and that we have a shared responsibility to uplift and support one another. In this spirit, we as an organisation focus on the uniqueness of each individual and the positive value in our differences. We recognise that it’s people who have thought differently and dreamt ‘outside the box’ that have had the biggest impact on changing our world for the better. Our purpose is to nurture and develop all individuals in our programs to achieve their unique potential.
“It always seems impossible, until it is done”
Nelson Mandela
Meet our team
Passionate professionals dedicated to guiding you toward success.
The CORE Transitions team is driven by experience, compassion, and a shared passion for empowering young people. Through personalised support and expert guidance, we create meaningful opportunities for personal and professional growth, inspiring and supporting participants every step of the way.
Gary (Gaz) Reichenberg
Director
Gaz is a visionary entrepreneur and changemaker with a passion for innovation, inclusion, and creating opportunities that empower others. With a bold and optimistic mindset, he has built a career on pushing boundaries, overcoming challenges, and turning big ideas into reality. Whether leading businesses, championing community initiatives, or redefining what’s possible for people with disabilities, Gaz believes in the power of resilience, connection, and a ‘can-do’ attitude. Driven by the philosophy of Ubuntu—“I am because we are”—he is committed to making a lasting impact by fostering a world where everyone has the chance to thrive.
Simone (Sim) Thannhauser
Chief People & Culture Officer
Sim brings over 30 years of experience in human resources and people and culture. With a focus on building tailored pathways for individuals, she is passionate about empowering young people to gain the skills and confidence needed to thrive in their careers and personal lives. Her ‘always curious’ approach ensures every program is impactful and aligned with individual goals and she is able to share insights which help people build their own sense of self value.
Jess Ernst
NDIS Administration & Program Support Officer
With over a decade experience in the not for profit space, Jess is a dedicated NDIS Administration and Program Support Officer, committed to ensuring the smooth and efficient delivery of NDIS services. Jess comes with strong administrative expertise and helps streamline operations while ensuring compliance with NDIS policies. Passionate about making a positive impact, contributing to enhancing service delivery and improving outcomes for people with disabilities, she’s an integral part of the team.
Ethan Dawson
Program Manager
Ethan has been in the industry for five years gaining valuable experience in supporting others. He has completed a diploma of business and is currently furthering his education in counselling. Ethan’s genuine passion for helping people combined with his patience, strong listening skills and compassionate nature allows him to build meaningful connections with those around him. His dedication to personal and professional growth makes him a valued member of the team.
Sienna Di Nucci
Program Manager
With a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Criminology, Sienna is currently furthering her expertise through studying an Honours degree in Applied Psychology. With her natural ability to connect with others, she is known for her trusting and reliable nature, making her a valuable support to both clients and colleagues. Her vibrant and positive attitude combined with exceptional active listening ensures everyone she interacts with feels heard and understood. Driven by a desire to make a difference, Sienna is committed to applying her knowledge and skills to help others thrive.
Testimonials
Stories of success and transformation from our participants.
The experiences of our participants and their families reflect the core of CORE Transitions. These testimonials showcase how tailored support and meaningful opportunities have helped individuals gain independence, achieve employment goals, and build brighter futures. Their success stories continue to inspire our mission.
”The support provided by the CORE transitions team has been extremely important and valuable to us. They provide practical assistance, emotional support, and companionship which has enabled my son to lead a more independent and happy life. His quality of life is being improved daily and it's offered us peace of mind in the process.
NatalieParticipant’s mum
”I like my support worker because she does very fun stuff with me like go to the park, and she also loves to do what I want. She always encourages me to be nice and have fun.
PhoebeParticipant
”I love how the CORE transitions team focus on building connections, optimism, resilience and engagement. These are the same principles I've followed in my 2.5 years of support work and I've seen firsthand the incredible impact they have on people with disabilities.
YisSupport worker
”I’ve already noticed a huge change in my son's demeanour. He hasn’t been violent or aggressive towards us at all, which is such a big shift. And it’s been amazing to see him smiling, happy, and excited to go out again.
TatumParticipant's mum
Contact us
Contact Us. We’re here to help
Unlock Potential, Achieve Success
Take the first step toward a brighter future with CORE Transitions. Whether you're seeking tailored support, skill development, or meaningful pathways to employment, we’re here to help. Let’s work together to build confidence, foster independence, and create opportunities that matter.
Start your journey with CORE Transitions