• Accessibility
• Email alerts
• RSS feeds
• Contact us

Think Work First: The transition from education to work for young disabled people Contents

---

Chapter 3: Preparing for work: how effective is the education system?

47.This is not a report on SEN education, and this chapter focuses on the support young disabled people receive specifically relating to their transition to work while in education settings. However, we acknowledge that educational outcomes have a clear impact on the employability and future prospects of young disabled people. It is clear that young disabled people have poorer educational outcomes than their non-disabled counterparts:58 in the academic year 2022–23, 43 per cent of 19 year olds with SEN achieved Level 259 in English and maths, compared to 84 per cent of their counterparts without identified SEN.60 Disability Rights UK laid much of the blame for this on a lack of funding: they reported that there was a £2.1 billion shortfall in SEN provision in schools, and argued that “many disabled children are not currently able to access a full and inclusive education.”61

48.The current Government’s manifesto for the 2024 general election acknowledged that “too often our education… systems do not meet the needs of all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities” and included a commitment to improving “inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as [ensuring that] special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.”62 We also note that in September 2024 Ofsted committed to putting children with SEN at the heart of its organisational reforms.63

49.It is within this context that we explore the support available for young disabled people while in education.

50.There is an overarching concern that the education system is not delivering for young people with special educational needs. As a matter of urgency, the Government should review and improve the support young disabled people receive in the education system.

Education, Health and Care Plans

51.Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are intended for those up to the age of 25 who need support beyond special educational needs support. According to the Government “EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support to meet those needs.”64 Having an EHCP also makes the young person eligible for employment programmes such as supported internships,65 and they are able to access apprenticeships with lower or fewer qualifications.

52.An application for an EHCP is typically made through the local authority, which will then undertake an assessment and draft an EHCP setting out the relevant interventions and support.66 The number of applications increased from 114,482 in 2022 to 138,242 in 2023, a 23 per cent increase.67 The parent or young person can challenge the local authority’s decision, through mediation and ultimately by appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Tribunal,68 and in 2023, 10,300 mediation cases and 6,300 appeals to tribunal were reported.69 In the academic year 2022–23, 98 per cent of decided appeals against local authority decisions are successful.70 This has a cost to the public, with Pro Bono Economics estimating that “the public sector wasted nearly £60 million losing EHCP tribunal disputes—costs of over £46 million to local authorities and over £13.5 million to the courts” in 2021–22.71

53.Although local authorities are required to complete their assessments and issue a draft EHCP within 20 weeks of an application, there are reports of people waiting over a year for their draft EHCP.72 Young women also appear to be particularly disadvantaged in the application process—70 per cent of EHCP recipients are male73—which witnesses attributed to barriers to women accessing healthcare,74 young women “masking” their conditions,75 and diagnostic biases.76 Disability Rights UK also cited significant variation between local authorities, leading to a “postcode lottery when it comes to support”.77 There is also evidence that children from families of a higher socio-economic status,78 or living in affluent areas,79 are more likely to be in receipt of an EHCP than those in poorer locations, suggesting that there are greater levels of unmet need in deprived areas. Even where an EHCP is obtained, we heard reports of schools80 and colleges81 failing to deliver the support set out in EHCPs.

54.The Government’s SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan82 includes a range of interventions to improve EHCP processes.83 However, the LGA argued that, while the plan makes councils responsible for the SEN system, it does not give them the powers and resources they need to make the system work properly and does not address “the fundamental cost and demand issues that are driving more councils into deficit.”84

55.Education, Health and Care Plans help young disabled people receive essential educational support and are fundamental to enabling many young disabled people to access employment programmes such as supported internships or more accessible apprenticeships. However, the current system does not deliver the vital support that many young disabled people need, nor does it adequately support the councils and schools expected to deliver it. The current lack of funding and delays in the application process mean that young disabled people are left without vital support, while local authorities waste public money fighting losing battles at tribunal. Alongside this, local authorities and education providers do not have the resources they need to fulfil the requirements set out in existing EHCPs.

56.The Government should increase its support for local authorities to deliver EHCPs and closely monitor both the timeliness and robustness of their decision-making with reference to the 20-week timeline for producing a draft EHCP, as well as the proportion of decisions overturned on appeal. We ask the Government to update the Committee by June 2025 on its progress in improving processes, reducing delays, and minimising SEND Tribunal costs and appeals with regard to EHCPs.

Careers education, information, advice and guidance

57.Careers education, information, advice and guidance can support young disabled people to make plans that support their career aspirations. It helps students pick the right subjects at school, college and university, identify appropriate career pathways, and gain experience in the workplace. The provision of careers advice in schools is mandatory but we heard that the reality on the ground is of a “postcode lottery”85, frequently reliant on the goodwill of individual schools and teachers. This leaves many young people without the information and guidance they need to move into work or training. This is all the more acute in the case of young disabled people, many of whom have more complex careers advice needs and require specialist support. It is important to note, however, that several of our recommendations in this area will benefit all young people—not just young disabled people.

Quality of advice and access to specialist advice

58.All young people are expected to receive support from qualified careers advisers86 but witnesses told us of a general shortage of careers advisers. There is a lack of data about the number of careers advisers in England but Katharine Horler, the Executive Director of Careers England, described the situation as “a recruitment and retention crisis for careers advisers”.87 Witnesses told us that this staff shortage was compounded by a lack of funding, and there were also concerns about the level of pay for careers advisers.88 Katharine Horler also said that this had led many advisers to leave their roles to take up better paid job coach roles with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).89

59.These systemic issues are compounded for young disabled people. Many witnesses told us of a “lack of tailored careers support for young people with disabilities or poor mental health”.90 RNIB stated that careers support was often being delivered by “advisors without knowledge and understanding of sight loss, and of the support needed to overcome barriers to enter the workplace.”91 Poor quality careers advice was also highlighted by many of the young disabled people who spoke to the Committee.92

60.A key problem is that there is “no systemic approach or requirement for SEND training” for careers advisers working with young disabled people.93 While there is training available for careers advisers through bodies such as the Career Development Institute and the Careers and Enterprise Company,94 this must be paid for either by the careers adviser or their employer and “does not typically lead to an increase in salary”, giving advisers little incentive to specialise. Level 7 careers advice qualifications include “some appreciation of SEND, but it is not an in-depth element”.95

61.The previous Government told us that Careers Leaders96—who are drawn from a school’s teaching cohort—can access high quality careers support training and training in SEN. This is provided by the CEC.97 The Department for Education (DfE) added that training for careers leaders “includes a dedicated SEN Toolkit” and stated that training commissioned by the CEC is “required to deliver bespoke support and learning and signpost to appropriate resources.”98 However, Hannah Sheehan, Director in the Skills Journey Directorate in the DfE acknowledged that “there is no leadership careers qualification”.99 This may reduce incentives for teachers to become Careers Leaders, or for Careers Leaders to undertake training or use resources.

62.Added to all of these challenges is the regional variability in the content and quality of provision. Katharine Horler told us that there is “a complete and utter postcode lottery for young disabled people … there is no common entitlement for young people across the system.”100 This was a common theme across almost every element of our inquiry.

63.Before June 2025, DfE should collect and publish data on the number of full-time equivalent careers advisers practicing in England and the number of advisers who have received specialist training relating to pupils with SEN.

64.The Government should review training for careers advisers and leaders. This review should consider a) making in-depth SEN training a mandatory aspect of careers adviser qualifications, b) introducing a National Professional Qualification on careers education, information advice and guidance for careers leaders which includes required training on SEN and careers. We ask the Government to provide an update on this by March 2025.

Attitudes and perceptions

65.Young disabled people may be written off as not needing advice regarding work and careers due a mistaken perception that they will never be able to move into work. These perceptions can take root at a very young age. Laura Davis, told us of an occasion when she was in a nursery:

“They were having conversations with these little people, aged three or four, about what they want to be when they grow up. There was a boy in the room who said he wanted to be a bus (sic), and nobody questioned that, which is fine, but they skipped over the little girl with Down’s syndrome. They did not ask her.”

When Ms Davis asked the nursery staff why they had not asked this child, their response had been that they did not want to “raise their ambition”.101

66.In written evidence, BASE described the education sector as lacking ambition, resulting in young people still being assessed as “’employable’ or ‘not’ when in fact the evidence shows that a presumption of employment leads to better employment outcomes for people.”102 Young disabled people told the Committee that they had experienced poor attitudes from careers advisers, with one describing careers advice as a “bit lazy”103 and another reporting being treated as “a lower class of person—like I was never going to achieve anything”.104 The RNIB shared one young disabled person’s experience: “A careers officer told me that I should go to Tech because university wasn’t for, and this is a quote, ‘for people like me’. I was fuming!! It’s just sort of fuelled me to go and prove them wrong!’”105 That young person went on to complete a Masters-level qualification.106

67.Another critical factor in enabling young disabled people to develop their ambitions and believe that they can succeed is the presence of role models in the education system. The importance of disabled role models was highlighted by several contributors,107 who urged for increased numbers of disabled teachers108 and careers advisers,109 and for much greater representation of disabled people in the workplace.110 The young disabled people who spoke to us stressed that role models needed to be present “as early as possible”111—from nursery onwards.

68.Because of the greater barriers they face to accessing employment, and their need for a deeper understanding of the kinds of support employees can access, young disabled people are particularly likely to benefit from targeted, specialist careers advice. It is deeply concerning that this specialist advice is not available to all.

Further Education and young disabled people

69.There is a higher proportion of young disabled people in further education than in schools, with the Association of Colleges noting that those with SEN make up “17.3% of school pupils compared with 28.0% of college students funded under 16-19 funding”.112 As noted by David Holloway, young disabled people may arrive at college “at different stages of their own development”113 and may be pursuing vocational qualifications, academic qualifications such as A Levels, or be studying for maths and English GCSEs if they have not already attained them.

70.However, colleges may struggle to meet the needs of young disabled people who require support. David Holloway suggested that staffing and funding issues put colleges in an “impossible situation” where they were unable to meet the requirements of learners’ EHCPs.114 When considering staff remuneration, David Holloway reported that college teachers earn more than £9,000 per year less than their counterparts in schools, leading to recruitment and retention issues.115

Further Education curricula and qualifications

71.We heard a range of concerns about the curricula available to young disabled people in colleges. The Association of Colleges told us that many young disabled people retake Level 2 (GCSE) maths and English qualifications several times while in Further Education and argued that “this means that students are taking repeated and demotivating re-sits of an exam which did not meet their needs in the first place.”116 Gary Hyndman, the principal of Sense College Loughborough, an independent specialist college, stated that, at the college: “we find ourselves scrimping around for qualifications”,117 noting that young disabled people at his school may be learning skills and working towards aspirational targets, including in English and maths, but that such targets may not be recognised by formal qualifications.118

72.We also heard concerns that young people were attending and completing a range of courses without this leading to work.119 We heard of some cases of colleges offering ‘employability’ focused courses that were: “often not meaningful, with no evidence that they led to … employment. Young people often leave these courses with certificates that mean nothing in the world of work and are not … matched to the labour skills needed across the UK.”120 Such courses may not deliver positive employment outcomes for young disabled people and may not be delivered by teachers trained to support young disabled people into jobs.121 This concern was also raised with the Committee by young disabled people and their parents.122

73.Dr Crossley felt that this was not a widespread problem as any providers: “creating low-quality qualifications will be penalised through performance tables and Ofsted”.123 But she argued that the fact that: “providers feel the need to create something additional … further supports the view that the offer is not right for all [of those with] SEND.”124

74.The Government’s review of post-16 qualifications reform must take into account the employment outcomes, qualifications and assessments open to young disabled people.

BTECs and the transition to T Levels

75.In addition to gaining experience in the workplace, many students gain valuable work-related skills through vocational courses such as T Levels or BTECs, both in further education colleges and in schools. BTECs125 are “specialist work related qualifications” at Level 2 and Level 3,126 while T Levels are “2-year courses which are taken after GCSEs and are broadly equivalent in size to 3 A Levels” and include an industry placement.127 The introduction of T Levels from September 2020 means that many other level 3 qualifications (such as BTECs) that overlap with T Levels are expected to be defunded.128

76.We heard praise for both T Levels129 and BTECs130 but Ellen Atkinson, Regional Adviser–South and South-East for the National Development Team for Inclusion, told us that BTECs “gave young people with additional needs more opportunity to achieve at various levels”, whereas the “higher entry level” for T Levels put the qualification “beyond their reach in many cases”.131 Assessment for T Levels includes both practical assessment and end-of-course written assessments, which Gary Hyndman argued would disadvantage young disabled people who do not perform well in exams “if those young people fail courses … they fail on the written and assessed elements of the course.”132 There were also concerns that T Levels may make it more difficult for young disabled people to access wider work experience placements due to employers receiving payments for taking T Level students, but not for students studying other qualifications.133

77.DfE’s impact assessment for these changes to post-16 qualifications, published in July 2022, recognised that “those with learning difficulties or disabilities were more likely to be affected … [and] that in some cases some students may be disadvantaged”134 but judged the overall benefits to the general student population to outweigh these risks.135 DfE told us that “a range of qualifications” would be available at entry level and levels 1–3. They also argued that the “move to a linear exams system136 [would] encourage deeper subject understanding and readiness for further study”.137

78.In July 2024, the new Secretary of State for Education, Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP, stated that DfE would “undertake a short pause and review of post-16 qualifications reform at level 3 and below, concluding before the end of the year. This means that the defunding scheduled for [August 2024] will be paused”.138 She also stated that there would be “further developments in the roll-out of new T-levels”.139 The Association of Colleges welcomed this decisions, stating “pausing defunding and undertaking a rapid review… is exactly what we asked for”.140 However, the Sixth Form Colleges Association argued the statement was “misleading” as it “only applies to a small number” of qualifications that would be defunded in August 2024, not to the much larger number due to be defunded in 2025 and 2026.141

79.The introduction of T Levels offers opportunities for young disabled people to gain valuable workplace experience and skills. There is a risk, however, that it will prevent some from progressing in further education through other routes. For those unable to access T Levels, BTECs are the ideal alternative, and it is concerning that these are being discontinued even though the impact on young disabled people is acknowledged and recognised. We welcome the Government’s decision to pause the defunding of qualifications in August 2024 and to conduct a rapid review of post-16 qualifications reform.

80.The Government’s review of post-16 qualifications reform must consider and prioritise the impact that reforms will have on young disabled people. The Government must commit to retaining all extant BTEC courses at least until there has been a full evaluation of the impact of the introduction of T Levels both generally and specifically on young disabled people. Even if the ultimate decision is to discontinue support for BTECs, this support must continue until alternative level 2 and level 3 qualifications suitable for young disabled people have been fully developed.

Bridging the gap between education and work

81.Throughout the inquiry we heard about a number of effective ways in which young disabled people can gain experience of the workplace that would support them to move into permanent work. However, there are significant barriers to accessing these opportunities.

Work experience

82.ThinkForward argued that “exposure to workplaces encourage young people to develop their career goals and work readiness skills” while also enabling parents “to support their young people to continue to pursue employment opportunities”.142 Similarly, disabled academic Dr Gayle Brewer emphasised the value of work experience for university students.143 However, young disabled people may struggle to access work experience that is “individually matched to the young person’s aspirations, talents and needs”.144 We heard that access to work experience was “dependent on the proactive approach of individual schools”145 and that “many students leave college in their early to mid-twenties with no work experience whatsoever.”146

83.One of the barriers to accessing work experience is the attitude of employers. Dr Crossley told us that “employers are sometimes fearful about what it means” and what measures they need to put in place.147 Peter Monaghan, Head of SEND and High Needs Curriculum for Education Partnership North East, stated that “there is not enough support for employers.”148

84.We did, however, hear of examples of good practice and opportunities for further development. Mr Monaghan told us how a college had developed free training for employers that “talked about supporting young disabled people in the workplace”, including the language to use and how to make reasonable adjustments.149 Dr Anne Murdoch, Senior Adviser for College Leaders for ASCL, argued for the development of inclusive work experience placements through local skills improvement development plans and employer groups such as Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses.150

85.Written evidence from DfE stated that careers leaders in schools should identify the needs of pupils with SEN and put personalised support in place. This can include informing young people about relevant types of support, reasonable adjustments, and employment and education opportunities.151

86.In its manifesto for the 2024 General Election, the current Government undertakes to guarantee two weeks of work experience for every young person and to improve careers advice in schools and colleges.152

87.We welcome the Government’s commitment to providing every young person with two weeks’ work experience.

88.The Government must ensure that young disabled people are given equal access to work experience and must work with DWP, schools, and local government bodies to address the barriers to access to work experience for young disabled people identified in this chapter. This should include introducing further incentives for schools and colleges to develop work experience opportunities, taking steps to improve support for employers offering work experience, and supporting and incentivising local bodies such as Chambers of Commerce to encourage businesses to offer work experience opportunities. We ask the Government to provide an update to us on progress in this area by March 2025.

Supported internships

89.Chapter 2 outlined the ways in which supported internships can be effective and lead to permanent employment for young disabled people.153 Several witnesses also noted the effectiveness of supported internships.154 DfE stated that “high quality providers” reported success rates of 60–70 per cent in 2020–21155 and the Department committed to increasing the number of supported internships available to 5,000 by March 2025. In April 2024, the Department informed the Committee that it was on track to meet this target, with 3,250 young disabled people undertaking supported internships in 2023–24.156

90.However, a criticism of supported internships as they currently operate is that they are only available to young people with EHCPs,157 which can be challenging to obtain.158 The Government has begun trialling supported internships for people without EHCPs, planning to support 250 young disabled people across 12 local authorities. It expected evaluation of this pilot to be completed in “early 2026”. DfE emphasised that “supported internships must be for young people who need the high level of support the programme provides.”159

91.We welcome the roll-out of supported internships and the Government’s efforts to widen eligibility for them.

92.The Government should continue to take steps to widen eligibility for supported internships beyond those with Education, Health and Care Plans while ensuring that supported internships are targeted at those who need a high level of support.

Apprenticeships

93.The Government has committed to increasing the number of apprenticeships available to young disabled people and to ensuring they achieve good outcomes.160 To this end, DfE has “introduced flexibilities to English and maths requirements” for apprenticeships for people with EHCPs.161

94.As part of the SEND and AP Improvement Plan, in 2023 the previous Government conducted a pilot widening the eligibility for apprenticeships with lower English and maths requirements to disabled people who do not have EHCPs.162 Following this pilot, the rules for flexibility on maths and English requirements were updated, allowing apprenticeship providers to determine whether an apprentice is eligible for this flexibility “by undertaking a thorough and evidence based assessment of their learning difficulty or disability”, from 1 August 2024.163 In addition, there is funding for apprenticeship providers to make reasonable adjustments.164 and DfE also supports the Disabled Apprentice Network, operated by Disability Rights UK, which provides the opportunity for apprentices with disabilities to share experiences and support each other.165

95.The proportion of apprentices declaring that they have a disability increased from 12.4 per cent in 2020–21 to 14 per cent in 2021–22.166 However, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said that “learners with a disability or long-term health condition are one of the groups most likely to withdraw from their apprenticeship.”167 Furthermore, the overall number of apprenticeship opportunities has fallen.168 The number of apprenticeships starts has dropped from 393,400 in 2018–19 to 200,550 in 2022–23.169

96.BASE stated that the apprenticeships with greater flexibility in eligibility criteria and level of support (designed for disabled people) should not be dependent purely on “having an EHCP”. Instead, they recommended that the criteria for these more flexible apprenticeships should be changed “to ensure the right young person can access the right employment pathway”.170 Witnesses also suggested that employers may not be aware of “the more flexible criteria”171 and that training providers take “an inordinately long time”172 to accept that someone is eligible for an apprenticeship, leading to disabled young people missing out on apprenticeships.

97.We welcome the steps taken to make apprenticeships more accessible to young disabled people, including those without an EHCP, and the commitment to nurturing peer support and learning through the Disabled Apprentice Network.

98.We welcome the Government’s steps to make flexibilities around maths and English requirements accessible to people without an Education, Health and Care Plan. The Government should launch a campaign to clearly communicate the new criteria, promote apprenticeships to employers and training providers and incentivise employers to take on disabled apprentices, and should monitor the number of young disabled people starting apprenticeships due to these changes in eligibility criteria.

Disabled people’s experience in Higher Education

99.Several of the young disabled people that we spoke to argued that they had had a far more positive experience, and better support, in university than in school, college, or work.173 This was not, however, a universal experience, with some young disabled people recalling the inaccessibility of university premises or accommodation, and university support services not being able to provide specialised support to disabled students.174

100.The Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) noted that, in England “disabled students are more likely to drop out of university, have lower degree results and worse employment outcomes than their nondisabled peers.”175 UCAS reported “a clear under-representation”176 of disabled people in higher education and that in 2022 disabled people were 32 per cent more likely to defer entry to higher education than their non-disabled peers “due to a lack of… support and adjustments.”177 TASO also argued that there was “a lack of quality evidence” on the effectiveness of reasonable adjustments in higher education, and on the move from higher education to the workplace.178 Dr Gemma McKenna, an Assistant Professor at the University of Birmingham, cited research that found that “only 20% of students registered in UK HE institutions disclose” their disabilities179, which would suggest the number of students with disabilities may be underreported.180

101.Working with the Office for Students, the Government should review the provision and quality of accessibility information provided by universities to students. This should include physical accessibility of spaces, adjustments available to students and previous examples of how adjustments have been implemented, considering the views of disabled students and academics. This review should identify actions for the Government, the Office for Students and universities to take, and should be published before March 2026.

---

• A-Z index
• Glossary
• Contact us
• Freedom of Information
• Jobs
• Using this website
• Copyright