by Ben Fisher – YEUK Youth Ambassador
I would firstly like to mention that this was my first time going to an APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) for Youth Employment meeting. This month’s topic for discussion was disability. I have a moderate speech impediment and thought it was an appropriate meeting for me to attend.
Michael Tomlinson MP chaired the meeting, which began with introductions of the other representatives including organisations such as Mencap, Leonard Cheshire, SENEL and Youth Employment UK. Michael Tomlinson then introduced the meeting with the latest youth unemployment figures which reported there was a slight drop but are still very high.
An inspirational talk was then given by Sheena Bell, Senior Lecturer in Special Educational Needs & Inclusion at The University of Northampton. Sheena spoke about a project called “SENEL” (Special Educational Needs Employment Link) which is an Erasmus+ Project, part funded by the EU. Following the recent EU Referendum result of Brexit, funding is still confirmed for 2 years.
The SENEL project aims to address the move into employment for those with SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities), by working with employers and young people, and through the creation of 3 sets of materials. The materials include: a portable exhibition of best practices; a “Mini-guide for Employers” and; a “Passport to Employment” for students. These resources will provide information on getting into employment with a disability, equip employers with knowledge about SEND and give advice about making reasonable adjustments where/when necessary.
It is evident that sometimes young people with a disability can be hidden from unemployment figures, one cause of this may be due to individuals not disclosing a disability, or employers being unsure of supporting an employee that may require reasonable adjustments. It is important that young people with SEND are not excluded from figures, but that they are recognised in the system and have the same aspiration of getting into full time work, with their needs/requirements being met and understood. It was reported that in the first quarter of 2016, 46.9% of disabled people aged 16-24 were in employment, there was a gap of 33.1% compared to those without a disability.
Following Sheena, Rosanna Singler introduced the section from Leonard Cheshire, which was another of the organisations at today’s APPG. They briefly explained about their projects called “Change100” and “Can Do”, aiming to give opportunities to young people with a disability through work placements and enable them to learn skills through volunteering.
Through the discussions, it was highlighted overall that there was a lot of uncertainty, from an employer’s perspective, around employing a disabled person. Many employers have a lack of knowledge about SEND and making reasonable adjustments. It was suggested that employers may believe that employing someone with SEND can lead to the workforce having a lack of strengths, such as having the right skills. However, it was obvious from discussions and presentations that someone with a disability may have hidden skills and could be an asset to the company.
Therefore, it is evident that further action is needed in bridging the gap between Young People with a disability and getting into employment. There can be many reasons for an employer to recruit a young person with SEND, such as:
- Having a diverse work force – meaning having other colleagues that think differently to tasks included in problem solving
- It has been proven that employers who do not see recruiting a young person with SEND as a barrier can result in additional benefits for the company through employing a diverse group of people including those that can approach things in alternative ways
Once the speeches were completed (with short question & answer sessions after each). there was then an opportunity for networking as it was felt this was necessary to expand links with other organisations around the topic of disability and youth unemployment.
Following this meeting it was felt with organisations working together, and with the help and resources of SENEL, we hope to encourage and enable more employers to recruit young people with SEND, which should be measurable in employment figures, and to ultimately end long term unemployment for this group.
Aged 16-24? If, like Ben, you’d like opportunities to share your views on our website and to attend events and debates to represent the views of young people, sign up as a YEUK Youth Ambassador today!
