If you’re looking for work you might find it helpful to get some careers advice or training, or help with your CV or interviews. This page outlines the support available, including government initiatives to remove some of the barriers disabled job seekers face.
- Where to get careers advice
- Speak to a Disability Employment Adviser
- Look for disability-friendly employers
- Help applying for jobs
- Work Choice
- Access to Work
- Training
Where to get careers advice
If you’re not sure what type of work you’d like or want to find out more about a certain career, speak to a careers adviser.
Careers advice from your school or local authority
If you’re aged 13-19 and you have a learning difficulty and/or disability, your school must offer you face-to-face careers guidance.
This applies whether or not you have a Statement of Educational Needs (SEN).
Contact your school and ask to speak to the careers adviser.
If you’re under 25, your local authority should provide you with careers advice if you have a Section 139A Learning Difficulty Assessment.
The National Careers Service
The National Careers Service provides confidential and impartial advice to help you make decisions about training and work.
If you’re aged 13-18 you can phone them and ask for a callback, email them a question or use their webchat service or moderated chatroom.
If you’re aged 19 or over and you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition, you can also get at least three sessions of face-to-face advice.
Call the National Careers Service on Tel 0800 100 900 to make an appointment with a local adviser.
Speak to a Disability Employment Adviser
Disability Employment Advisers can advise you on job seeking, training and new skills, and government schemes.
They can also tell you about disability-friendly employers in your area.
Look for disability-friendly employers
When you’re looking through job adverts and completing application forms, look for the ‘two ticks’ symbol which means the employer is committed to employing disabled people.
If a job advert displays the symbol, you’ll be guaranteed an interview if you meet the basic conditions for the job.
Help applying for jobs
Should you mention your disability when applying for a job?
You don’t have to mention your disability when you apply for a job, but if you decide not to, you might not be able to make a complaint about discrimination later on.
It’s a good idea to plan how and when you’re going to tell an employer about your disability.
Think about how you can discuss your disability positively and always focus on how your skills and abilities fit the job.
Useful information on CVs and applying for jobs
Find out more about applying for jobs if you’re disabled on the GOV.UK website.
More about applications and interviews on the Disability Rights UK website.
Use the CV builder on the National Careers Service website.
Find out more about how equality law applies to recruitment on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website.
Work Choice
Work Choice is a voluntary programme for disabled people run by Jobcentre Plus.
It can help you find a job though things like:
- Training
- Interview coaching
- Skills development
Ask your Disability Employment Adviser at the Jobcentre for more information.
Access to Work
If you need communication support, such as an interpreter at an interview, you might be able to get an Access to Work grant for this.
Ask your Disability Employment Adviser at the Jobcentre how to apply.
When you get a job, Access to Work can also provide you with money to pay for things like specialist equipment and services to help you stay in work.
Training
If you want to improve your existing skills or develop new ones, ask your Disability Employment Adviser at the Jobcentre about training opportunities.
You might be able to enrol in:
- An apprenticeship scheme – where you can get a qualification alongside practical experience and on-the-job training.
- A residential training course designed to help you find work if you’re disabled and have been unemployed for a long time.
- Find out more about apprenticeship schemes on the Apprenticeships website
- Find out more about residential training for disabled adults on the GOV.UK website
This article is provided by the Money Advice Service.