Helping a young person with a learning disability find work
- Laura Martin
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
Watching a teenager or young adult get ready for their first steps into work is a big moment, and it can feel more complicated when they have a learning disability. Some of us worry about where to start, whether anyone will give them a chance, or what support actually exists once school or college ends.
There's more out there than it might seem. This guide brings together the main UK schemes and programmes that help young people with learning disabilities move into paid work, so we can figure out together what might fit.
Supported internships
A supported internship is a year-long programme for young people aged 16 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). It combines classroom learning with a real work placement, and a job coach goes with the young person to help them settle in and build the skills they need.
There are no exams or qualifications needed to join one. Most further education colleges and specialist providers run these, and they're worth asking about as part of a young person's post-16 planning.
Access to Work
Once a young person has a job or a firm job offer, Access to Work is a government grant that can pay for the adjustments they need to do it well. That might be specialist equipment, extra support in the workplace, or help with travel costs. It's worth applying for as early as possible, since it can take a while to process.
The Youth Guarantee and Youth Jobs Grant
The government's Youth Guarantee is rolling out through jobcentres across Great Britain, and it's designed to give every young person a clearer path into work, an apprenticeship, or further training.
Young people with health conditions and disabilities can take part, and everyone on the scheme gets pre-employment support and training, including help with the soft skills that interviews and workplaces expect, not just training in the job itself.
Employers can also claim a Youth Jobs Grant of three thousand pounds for hiring an eligible young person, which is worth mentioning if a business seems interested but hesitant.
Mencap's Employ Me programmes
Mencap runs a family of programmes for different stages and needs:
Head Start and Right Start bring careers learning and work experience into schools, so young people get a taste of the world of work before they're expected to find a job.
Employ Me NEET supports young people who aren't in education, employment or training, or who are at risk of becoming so, through a dedicated caseworker.
Supported internships, delivered through the Mencap Training Academy, follow the same 16 to 24 model above, with at least 420 hours of work experience over the year. There's also a pre-internship option for anyone who wants to work towards this gradually.
Mencap's programmes don't cover the whole of the UK, so it's worth checking what's running locally.
DFN Project SEARCH
DFN Project SEARCH is another supported internship model, often run in partnership with large employers including many NHS trusts.
It's helped thousands of young adults with a learning disability or autism, or both, move into paid work, with a strong track record of interns going on to secure jobs with the employer they trained with.
Connect to Work
Connect to Work is a newer, locally funded service, free to access, that helps match people with a learning disability, learning difficulty, autism or ADHD to paid work and ongoing support once they're in the role. It's still being rolled out area by area, so availability depends on where a young person lives.
Getting work experience from volunteering
Not all work experience needs to come through a formal scheme. Somewhere already familiar can be a gentle place to start, a church, mosque, or other faith group, a local Scouts or Girlguiding unit, or a sports club, since these often need help with practical tasks like setting up, serving refreshments, or supporting younger members.
Other options worth asking about include a local charity shop, library, allotment or community garden, care home activities team, or a family friend's shop or café. Even a few hours a week can count as real experience, and starting with people who already know our young person often means less needs to be explained from scratch.
Where to start
Every young person's situation is different, and it's fine to explore more than one route at once. A good first port of call is usually the SEND or careers team at our young person's school, college, or local authority, since they'll know which of these programmes are actually running nearby and can help with an application.
"We found out through word of mouth and our social worker. Most further education colleges also have a Supported Education facility, often running a number of ready-to-work schemes, some leading to more vocational experience, so I'd start there. I also secured volunteer work at a charity shop half a day a week when [our daughter] was younger, Barnardo's were great."
Mobilise Carer
Our local authority is often worth contacting directly too. Many run their own schemes and partnerships alongside the national ones, and provision varies a lot from area to area, so it's worth asking what they know, even if we're not sure yet whether we're eligible or where to begin.
"We have had a great experience of Enterprise East in Essex, an organisation that provides supported work experience. They run a cafe, eco-refill shop and hairdresser, and students have the opportunity to work in all of these areas for three to five days a week. From there, some go on to paid work. I know that lots of councils have similar schemes, like Mudlarks in Hertfordshire or Harry Specters in Cambridgeshire."
Mobilise Carer
Mobilise can’t give legal, benefits, or careers advice ourselves, but we're always glad to hear what's worked for others in the Mobilise Hub, or to help point towards the right service.
This guide gives general information correct at the time of writing. Schemes and eligibility can change, so it's worth checking the linked pages for the latest details.
