Internships have made only “patchy” progress in efforts to get young people with learning disabilities into work.
That’s the view of Remploy. The organisation is a major UK provider of job placements for people with disabilities.
David Hughes of the Association of Colleges: believes the new UK government must look at funding arrangements for supported internships
The Government brought in a pilot programme of supported internships in autumn 2012. Fifteen further education colleges supported the scheme.
The internships are unpaid study programmes for 16- to 24-year-olds that last around a year.
Employers normally host them. Young people on the scheme have a job coach, plus additional college-based learning, to support their placement.
Success of 65 per cent for some internships
Remploy say some supported internships have a success rate of 65 per cent for people finding work at the end of the programme.
They are seen as an important alternative to apprenticeships, which can exclude people with learning disabilities because of educational requirements.
But Department for Education statistics show a low take-up of supported internships. Just 715 young people with special needs and education, health and care (EHC) plans were taking part in January.
This compares to an overall figure of around 65,000 people with statements of special educational needs and EHC plans aged between 16 and 25 in England in January.
Short-term funding and lack of awareness
A spokesperson for Remploy said there were a couple of factors creating the “patchy” take-up. These were “short-term funding and a lack of awareness among some colleges, local authorities and employers”.
Surveys show over 60 per cent of people with learning disabilities want to work. Meanwhile, the learning disability employment rate is just six per cent.
Efforts to boost uptake
Remploy say they are making efforts to boost uptake. It said it was working with employers such as hotels and hospitals.
David Hughes is chief executive of the Association of Colleges. He said supported internships have a “life-changing effect”.
But he added that colleges and employers must be “supported appropriately” for internships to be effective. He said the new UK government must look at the high-needs funding system “as a priority”.
The Department for Education declined to comment.
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Published: 9 June 2017
