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Government review proposes expansion of special needs internships
Supported workplace programmes can tackle massive youth joblessness
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By Peter Clark (Senior Editor, Autism Info Center) Tuesday 1st September 2026 |
A major government review is recommending a huge expansion of supported internships to help tackle the growing crisis of youth unemployment among neurodivergent and disabled people.
Experts leading the review suggest that specialist workplace programmes must be urgently scaled up to combat devastating joblessness rates for young people with autism and learning disabilities.
Currently, a shockingly low percentage of young people with special educational needs move into permanent jobs.
However, employment rates for those who successfully complete supported internship schemes can reach up to seventy percent.
Central to the recent rise in youth unemployment is an increase in young people diagnosed with neurodevelopmental conditions who struggle to make the transition into the modern workforce without adequate support.
The review insists that society must move away from the outdated idea that a diagnosis means a person is unable to work.
Dedicated year long internships provide tailored onsite work experience and dedicated job coaching for young people who face the highest barriers to the job market.
Advocates hope that increasing capacity and funding for these schemes will provide essential opportunities and end the moral crisis of young people being left behind.
Source: The Guardian (UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/16/
Further reading, listening and viewing...
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