Unemployment: People with Autism

Baroness Spielman Excerpts

Thursday 25th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Spielman (Con)]

My Lords, if reducing unemployment is a serious government priority, the proportion of young autistic people beginning sustained employment must be improved substantially. Can the Minister therefore explain how the Government plan to use their funding and regulatory levers to ensure, first, that colleges place autistic students on the most suitable courses for them and, secondly, that colleges connect these courses to local job opportunities in sectors and roles where young autistic people can thrive?

[Baroness Sherlock (Lab)]

The noble Baroness raises an excellent question about schools and education, and I reassure her that my department is working very closely with the Department for Education to address it. I am sure that she has read the interim report from Alan Milburn, so she will know that he identified problems not simply in getting young people into employment, but in making sure that schools were doing the right thing in transition and in making sure that health services were doing the right thing in engaging with prevention. We are developing plans across that piece. We are doing a lot, and I would be very happy to talk to the noble Baroness outside if she would like to pursue this.