On the 8th May, Michael Tomlison MP and Chair of the APPG for Youth Employment supported the ‘Ready and Able’ employability project report launch by Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Muscular Dystrophy UK’s Trailblazers Employability Policy Project, funded by City Bridge Trust, began in October 2017 and set out to identify the key barriers faced by young disabled people when trying to find and stay in work. This report summarises the findings of the project and makes recommendations to employers and to Government that would help remove these barriers.
Through speaking directly with young disabled people and employers, the project has found out specific challenges faced and identified changes that would improve things for disabled jobseekers.
The report provides an in-depth picture of the challenges faced by young disabled jobseekers. These include a flawed Disability Confident scheme, and a lack of funding for care costs at work, which prevents people from getting into the workplace.
Through working with employers, this report has been able to better understand the preconceptions about disability that prevent young people finding employment; preconceptions that the young people who took part in this project experience on a daily basis. The report found that the problem isn’t an unwillingness to take on a disabled employee but rather a lack of confidence in knowing how to adequately support disabled employees.
This report concludes with a series of recommendations for both employers and for
Government.
APPG for Youth Employment 