Transition to work for disabled
students
AGCAS Conference 2009
Marina Matosic (Employability and Careers Adviser, MMU)
Dr Eddie Tunnah (Head of Employment and Careers Service, Roehampton
University)
Paul Barnes (Co Chair AGCAS Disability Task Group, University of
Portsmouth
Amy Bryant (Senior Policy Adviser, ECU)
Outline of session
 Introductions (AGCAS Disability Task
Group & Equality Challenge Unit)
 AGCAS findings from What Happens
Next Report, March 2009
 ECU recommendations and findings
from Transition to Work for Disabled
Students, May 2008
 Discussion and Action Points
AGCAS Disability Task
Group
7 members
3 meetings per year
“What Happens Next?” report (annual)
 Training for AGCAS members (annual)
 Support for research (e.g. stammering)
 Establishing links, sharing practice (JobCentre Plus,
Employability)
 Advocacy (Political parties)
 Information sharing, support, advice (DDN)
Equality Challenge Unit
 Established in 2001 to promote
equality for staff in higher education
in the UK
 Remit extended in 2006 to include
students
 Funded by the 4 UK higher education
funding Councils, Universities UK and
GuildHE
 15 staff, based in London
ECU Remit
 Equality Challenge Unit supports the
higher education sector to realise the
potential of all staff and students
whatever their race, gender,
disability, sexual orientation, religion
or belief, or age, to the benefit of
those individuals, higher education
institutions and society.
AGCAS What Happens
Next…
Annual report by AGCAS DTG
Based on Destinations of Leavers from HE
survey
Compares outcomes of disabled and nondisabled graduates 6 months out
Used by AGCAS members, disability groups,
researchers
Number of disabled first degree
full-time graduates in 2007
16,435 disabled graduates
(2006 figure 14,895)
173,070 non-disabled graduates (172,860)
8.7% of all graduates with known classification disabled
(2006 figure 7.9%)
Number of disabled graduates increased by 1540 (10.3%)
in just one year.
Numbers by specific disability
Dyslexia : 9515 (2006 figure 8490)
Blind/Partially Sighted: 330 (305)
Deaf / Hearing Impairment: 545 (505)
Wheelchair User / Mobility Difficulties: 435 (405)
Personal Care Support: 15 (15)
Mental Health Difficulties: 590 (455)
Autistic Spectrum Disorder: 90 (40)
An Unseen Disability: 2715 (2560)
Multiple Disabilities: 715 (580)
A Disability Not Listed Above: 1485 (1540)
Destinations of
Disabled Graduates
5.3%
1.6%
7.8%
Full-time paid work only
Part-time paid work only
Voluntary/unpaid work only
Work & further study
Further study only
Assumed to be unemployed
Not available for employment
Other
16.8%
49.9%
8.8%
1.7%
8.2%
Destinations of
Non-Disabled Graduates
4.2% 1.1%
5.6%
Full-time paid work only
Part-time paid work only
Voluntary/unpaid work only
Work & further study
Further study only
Assumed to be unemployed
Not available for employment
Other
16.2%
55.6%
8.7%
1.0%
7.6%
Destinations of Disabled
Graduates by Occupation
0.6%
4.9%
7.9%
9.2%
SOC 1 - Managers & Administrators
SOC 2 - Professional Occupations
5.8%
24.3%
1.7%
SOC 3 - Associate Professional & Technical
Occupations
SOC 4 - Clerical & Secretarial Occupations
SOC 5 - Craft & Related Occupations
SOC 6 - Personal & Protective Service Occupations
12.0%
SOC 7 - Sales Occupations
SOC 8 - Plant & Machine Operatives
SOC 9 - Other Occupations
33.6%
Destinations of Non-Disabled
Graduates by Occupation
4.1%
7.9%
0.4%
9.4%
SOC 1 - Managers & Administrators
SOC 2 - Professional Occupations
4.9%
0.9%
27.9%
SOC 3 - Associate Professional & Technical
Occupations
SOC 4 - Clerical & Secretarial Occupations
SOC 5 - Craft & Related Occupations
SOC 6 - Personal & Protective Service Occupations
13.0%
SOC 7 - Sales Occupations
SOC 8 - Plant & Machine Operatives
SOC 9 - Other Occupations
31.4%
Graduate Level Occupations
% in Graduate Level Occupations (SOCS 1,2 & 3)
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
Disabled
65.8
64.5
62.2
60.6
64.5
Non disabled
67.2
64.9
62.9
61.4
63.2
Annual Salary of
Employed Respondents
40.0
30.0
Non-disabled
%
Disabled
20.0
10.0
0.0
£1-£5000
£5001£10000
£10001£15000
£15001£20000
£20001£25000
£25001£30000
£30001£35000
£35001£40000
£40001£45000
£45001£50000
£50001&
Over
Destinations of
Dyslexic Graduates
5.2%
1.5%
7.6%
14.5%
52.9%
8.7%
1.5%
8.0%
Full-time paid work only
Part-time paid work only
Voluntary/unpaid work only
Work & further study
Further study only
Assumed to be unemployed
Not available for employment
Other
Destinations of Blind/
Partially Sighted Graduates
0.6%
3.6%
9.1%
44.7%
20.7%
9.4%
4.3%
7.6%
Full-time paid work only
Part-time paid work only
Voluntary/unpaid work only
Work & further study
Further study only
Assumed to be unemployed
Not available for employment
Other
Destinations of Wheelchair
User/Mobility Difficulties Graduates
5.7%
2.5%
9.9%
42.3%
23.4%
6.4%
2.8%
6.9%
Full-time paid work only
Part-time paid work only
Voluntary/unpaid work only
Work & further study
Further study only
Assumed to be unemployed
Not available for employment
Other
Destinations of Graduates with
Mental Health Difficulties
6.5%
1.7%
10.9%
37.5%
Full-time paid work only
Part-time paid work only
Voluntary/unpaid work only
Work & further study
Further study only
Assumed to be unemployed
Not available for employment
Other
21.9%
8.8%
10.2%
2.5%
What Happens Next…
Conclusions:
Overall disabled graduates are not performing as well in
labour market as non-disabled
However gap has narrowed over last 5 years
Difference between disabled groups
Last report written pre-recession (2007 leavers)
ECU Transition to Work
Report, May 2008
 The report investigated:
– HEI Careers Services support to
disabled students making transition to
work
 The report provides:
– Practical advice to careers advices
giving support to disabled students
 Note: there’s opportunity for group
discussion at the end
Key findings:
 Disclosure:
– Lack of confidence to disclose to
prospective employer
– Potential for negative impact of
disclosing an impairment
 Careers Advice solutions:
– Training in understanding of provision
under DDA (for students and staff)
– Initiatives to encourage disclosure
Key findings continued:
 Maintaining Optimism and
Encouraging Engagement from
disabled students:
– Disabled students approaching Careers
Service at final hour
– Perception that finding work will be difficult
 Careers support:
– Running careers fairs requiring all
employers to bring statement/resources on
how they support disabled staff
Key findings continued:
 Work placements and
volunteering:
– Additional barriers for disabled
students (dependant on impairment
type?)
– More pronounced given current
economic climate?
 Potential solutions:
– Making links with employers and
advising on employment initiatives
Legal context
 Disability Equality Duty requires HEIs
to update Disability Equality Schemes
(DES) by 4 December 2009
 Disabled people (including staff,
students and visitors/other users of
HEI) need to be involved in creation
of new Scheme and action plan
 Opportunity for Careers Services to
help shape actions for disabled
students in new DES?
Current policy context
 Leitch Review (final report Dec 2006)
– More than 20% of people economically
inactive
– 2.7 million people either disabled or with
health problems claim out of work benefits
– Employment levels lowest amongst lone
parents, ethnic minorities and disabled
people
– Recommends skills training to create a
skilled workforce by 2020
 Leitch followed by hefce/UUK/CBI report:
Stepping Higher, October 2008
Discussion
Three discussion groups:
1. Disclosure
2. Optimism
3. Work Experience
What work is being undertaken at your HEI
in the area?
What additional work would you like to
happen?
AGCAS DDN Discussion
List
Email
facility for the sharing of careers and disability
information, the exchange of ideas and requesting of
information
Areas covered by the discussion list include:
 alerting members to new resources and publications
 seeking advice on client issues
 research projects regarding disability and/or careers
 disseminating events (such as DDN training events)
 contacts of interest etc….
Working with disabled students – an
Induction Pack for AGCAS members
Find out about:
 Disability Awareness
 Making your careers service accessible
 Specialist disability organisations
 Relevant disability legislation
 Support from Jobcentre Plus
 Support students can access at university
 Work Experience and Employment- useful contacts
 Disclosure of Disability
 Download your own copy from the AGCAS website
Resources:
 AGCAS (DTG) Destination Reports:
http://www.agcas.org.uk/agcas_resources/17-WhatHappens-Next-A-Report-on-the-First-Destinationsof-Disabled-Graduates
 ECU Transition to Work Report:
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/transition-to-work
 RADAR Doing Work Differently: getting
and keeping a job while managing
impairment:
http://www.radar.org.uk/radarwebsite/tabid/15
8/default.aspx
 Writing Disability Equality Schemes:
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/law/disability-legislation
 Stepping Higher: Workforce
development through employerhigher education partnership (2008):
http://www.cbi.org.uk/pdf/CBISteppingHigher.pdf
Contacts
Amy Bryant
7th Floor Queens House
55/56 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London
WC2A 3LJ
Tel: 0207 438 1010
Fax: 0207 438 1011
www.ecu.ac.uk
Paul Barnes
Co Chair AGCAS Disability Task
Group
Careers and Employability
Service
[email protected]
[email protected]
University of Portsmouth
Tel: (02392) 842689