Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to improve careers advice for young adults with learning difficulties and disabilities.

The careers strategy, published in December 2017, includes proposals to improve the quality and coverage of careers advice in schools. For example, the Careers & Enterprise Company and the Gatsby Foundation have developed a toolkit containing tips for schools and employers to help them support young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This is available at the following link: http://www.talentinocareers.co.uk/send-gatsby-benchmark-toolkit.pdf.

The Careers & Enterprise Company has awarded £1.7 million to 20 organisations to support some of the most vulnerable young people to help them prepare for the world of work. This is targeted at programmes supporting disadvantaged groups including those with SEND), looked after children and care leavers and young people from gypsy, Roma and traveller communities. Projects include tailored careers support in Sussex for young people with SEND and their parents and a partnership that helps young people with autism to engage with local employers and learn about the technical routes available to them in Leeds.

The National Careers Service provides free, up to date, impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, skills and the labour market in England. It offers face-to-face advice, a helpline with web chat, text and telephone support and a website which gives customers 24-hour access to information and advice. All services are available to adults aged 19+ and young people aged 13 to 18 can use the website and helpline. People with learning difficulties and disabilities are a priority group for face-to-face advice and the National Careers Service are very experienced in providing support to vulnerable groups. Just over a fifth (22%) of National Careers Service face-to-face customers have a disability, which is higher than in the general population (18%).[1]

[1] Summer 2017 equality analysis of the National Careers Service.