RNIB responds to a new report on the increase in the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions commissioned the Rt Hon Alan Milburn to author a report into Young People and Work. The report will be taken forward in 2 distinct phases:

• a discovery phase – this will focus on providing a diagnosis on the increase in the number of young disabled people and those with a health condition who are NEET
• a solution phase – following the discovery phase, the report will explore and identify potential areas for reform. This report covers the findings of the discovery phase.

Roisin Jacklin, RNIB Policy lead, said:

“Young people with a vision impairment tell us that they often aren't getting the right level of specialist support at school or college. That sets them back even before they start looking for work. We know the consequences can be severe, with young people with vision impairment twice as likely not to be in education, employment or training as their peers.”

“What we need is a multi-pronged approach. These are young people who want to work just like anyone else, but too often graduate recruitment schemes or apprenticeships don't think about accessibility when designing their recruitment processes. Imagine trying to upload your CV to a website that doesn't work with assistive technology, or to persuade an employer of your skills when they hold outdated ideas about what someone with sight loss is capable of with the right technology and workplace support.

“And once in work, it's critical that the Access to Work scheme, designed to get disabled people into work, functions properly. We need action to tackle long waiting lists and wrongly applied rules curbing support packages which can make all the difference to whether young people thrive, or feel excluded, as they embark on their careers."

Young people and work: interim report