Supported internships are a structured, work-based study programme for 16 to 24-year-olds with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The Department for Education (DfE) aims to strengthen the supported internship programme, by making an £18m investment in activity to allow the supported…

Employment contributes to well-being, yet many autistic people who want to work face barriers to meaningful employment. Much research focuses solely on employment rates, rather than taking a more holistic view of professional trajectories and occupational experiences. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 autistic adults to explore their…

A recent study of the destinations of graduates found that of all disabled graduates, autistic individuals are least likely to be employed (AGCAS, 2022). These outcomes for autistic people in the UK are widely recognised in literature (Remington and Pellicano, 2019, Vincent, 2020,) and highlight the way in which these individuals are marginalised.…

Background: Obtaining employment for young people with learning disabilities remains challenging, and people may not be able to experience work that offers them the opportunity for broader and deeper social inclusion. Supported internships (SIs) offer a possible solution to this problem, providing a bespoke, structured study programme designed for…

This research examined in-depth the employment experiences of autistic performing arts professionals and the attitudes and adjustments of performing arts employers. We interviewed 18 autistic performing arts professionals and 19 performing arts employers. Autistic performing arts professionals described facing challenges in the workplace. Some…

There is a growing population of young people with autism entering higher education and successfully completing qualifications, however, their postgraduate outcomes are often some of the poorest. This study responds to the gap in research regarding the transition out of higher education and into the labour market for this group. It outlines a…

What are the barriers to employment for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or who have experience of care? What works best to support them? In partnership with the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), our latest report draws conclusions from a survey of practitioners and young people to understand the…

Background: The study reports the findings of an evaluation of Project SEARCH UK. The programme develops internships for young people with intellectual disabilities who are about to leave school or college. The aim of the evaluation was to investigate at what rate Project SEARCH provided employment opportunities to participants. Methods: The…

Background: The aim of this study is to explore support workers' attitudes and knowledge towards individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) to see whether a new attitude scale needs to be developed. Method: Support workers from a charitable organization located in the West Midlands in the United Kingdom participated in one of four focus…

Whilst the value of supported employment for people with learning disabilities is well substantiated, the experiences of supporting individuals into work are less well documented. The Sustainable Hub of Innovative Employment for people with Complex needs aims to support people with learning disabilities and complex needs to find paid employment.…

Adults with autism face high rates of unemployment. Supported employment enables individuals with autism to secure and maintain a paid job in a regular work environment. The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of supported employment compared with standard care (day services) for adults with autism in the United Kingdom.…

Across the UK, fewer than 5.8% of people with a learning disability have a job, and many of those who are employed only work part-time. Yet most people indicate that they want to work. Many miss out on the basic right to aspire to a career, the wider social networks, the better emotional and physical health, and the independence that come from…

There has been research done in the area of autism and employment, but such research has not been reported in a comprehensive review format before now. Thus, a systematic review on the effectiveness of adult employment assistance for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) would not only provide ideas for further research but also show…

Transition to post-statutory education and employment for young people with learning disabilities has become a hotly debated issue among professionals in education and support services in the UK. Partnerships between educational institutions and voluntary sector providers are supposed to be ideal vehicles for delivering transition services and…

Purpose: The paper alerts small business employers to new dictates of the Disability Discrimination Act (2005) as it applies to learning disabilities. Then the "Learning to Work" project featured in the paper offers small business employers a set of approaches and methods for the identification of a learning-disabled young adult…