Apprentices: Learning Disability

(asked on 4th September 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to implement recommendation 8 of the Maynard Taskforce.


Answered by
Anne Milton Portrait
Anne Milton
This question was answered on 12th September 2017

We are making good progress in implementing the recommendations made by Paul Maynard’s taskforce to ensure that having a learning difficulty and/or disability is not a barrier to becoming an apprentice.

In accordance with Recommendation 8, we considered joining up funding streams to reduce potential hurdles. On reviewing departments’ policies, we found that sources of funding support for those with learning disabilities in work are already streamlined. The Department for Work and Pension’s Access to Work scheme is a highly personalised funding stream, which is already able to consider pre-existing assessments of need agreed by other agencies in emplacing support in the workplace, including Additional Learning Support assessments.

We are also evaluating how the new apprenticeship funding system is working to encourage the successful take up and likely achievement of apprentices with a disability. We have developed guidance materials, which make clearer the support available to disabled apprentices and how to access that, including a toolkit for employers to help them develop a more inclusive and accessible apprenticeship offer, and equality and diversity training materials.

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