Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will extend the provision of Supported Internships to people with a learning disability who are over the age of 25.

Supported internships are part of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, which is designed to address the needs of children and young people up to the age of 25. Extending the Supported Internships programme to people over the age of 25 is not current government policy.

Young people who have previously had an education, health and care plan and have reached the age of 25, may also be eligible for funding through the Adult Education Budget (AEB). The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above, including those learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

For young people, including those with SEND, apprenticeships can be the first step on the ladder that leads to fulfilling careers and further learning. For apprentices of all ages, they can provide a route to career progression, reskilling, and upskilling. The department has improved our Find an Apprenticeship service to allow people to identify Disability Confident Employers offering opportunities.