Why not consider hiring a young person with a disability?

Creating a diverse workforce By recruiting a disabled apprentice, your company can create a more diverse and creative workforce. By ignoring or discouraging disabled applicants, an employer may be missing the best candidate for the vacancy.

The cost The cost of putting on extra support and providing extra equipment can put employers off. However, the cost of reasonable adjustments for most disabled apprentices could be covered by a grant from the government’s Access to Work scheme. Employers can find that putting in place the additional support and equipment for disabled apprentices can result in more comprehensive support and engagement with other staff and customers alike.

A genuine role It is important to the employer and the apprentice that disabled apprentices are given a genuine role with responsibilities, tasks and deadlines that address your business needs. This will lead to a fulfilling role for the employee and a valuable apprentice for the employer.

Job description Only include requirements which are essential for the role of the apprentice. By leaving out the “extras” you could be keeping the vacancy open to all suitable applicants. Consider carefully whether certain qualifications and skills are essential in order not to exclude disabled applicants.

Welcome all applicants Make it clear in your advertising and marketing that you welcome applications from disabled candidates, by including statements showing your commitment to diversity such as ‘taking pride in a diverse workplace’ or ‘proud to invest in diversity’. It is also important to include information in the application form for applicants to declare a disability.

Application forms and packs Ensure that your recruitment materials are written in plain English and in Word documents (rather than pdf format) thereby making them more accessible to people who use assistive technology. You may feel it appropriate to include a contact to request the recruitment pack in alternative formats.

Partner organisations You may want to work with local and national disabilities organisations and training organisations in order to reach disabled candidates. Training providers and voluntary or community organisations could advertise and promote your apprenticeship vacancies to as wide a network and range of communities as possible.

Interviews and assessments Employers need to ensure that they offer reasonable adjustments at interview and assessment stages. By making people feel safe to declare that they are disabled, they may describe in their application the reasonable adjustments they will need at interview and in assessments.

Speak to your apprentice Do not assume what your apprentices need. As with all apprentices, line managers should have a one-to-one conversation with the apprentice to find out what in-work support they would find useful. However, it is important to remember that an apprentice is likely to be a young person in their first job role. As a result, they may not be aware of the types of support available, what they might need or what would help them in their role.

Part of a team It can be very important for an apprentice who has difficulty in their the social world to adapt to a working environment too. With all young apprentices, it is important to involve them in meetings, team decisions and social events, whether they are disabled or not, to help them develop their confidence and communication skills.

Provide a mentor By allocating a mentor to an apprentice, this gives the apprentice a key person to go to for help and support. If an employer already has disabled employees, they may welcome the chance to mentor a young apprentice.

External support For apprentices with more complex needs, it may be beneficial for an employer to work with external support agencies, which can provide additional support to the apprentice and their colleagues within the workplace.

Catch up meetings Give disabled apprentices regular opportunity to discuss any problems with regular meetings This will allow managers to identify any additional support needs. Always check with apprentices whether they want help before providing it. This is a young apprentice, probably in their first job role and they may not be aware of what support is available and may still be learning to manage their disability in the workplace.

Supporting progress Think about the long-term goals for the apprentices and remember that long-term outcomes are just as important for disabled people. Disabled people often enter entry level jobs, but employers need to recognise potential and encourage further training and promotion opportunities, or different activities within the current role of the apprentice.

Be proud Demonstrate achievements of disabled apprentices to other employees, other employers and the families of the apprentices. This can break down barriers and common misconceptions about capabilities. This was produced as part of the Apprenticeship Staff Support Programme, which was commissioned and funded by The Education and Training Foundation