Supporting disabled apprentices and those with LDD

In the UK, more than 14 million people identify as being disabled or having a learning disability or difficulty (LDD).

Yet, the NHS only employs 4.6 per cent of disabled apprentices compared with 10.1 per cent in other sectors.

In this section, we provide guidance and resources on how to attract, employ and support disabled people and those with LDD into apprenticeships, including:

• our how to recruit and support disabled staff in the NHS toolkit
• why recruiting and supporting more disabled apprentices is important and the benefits to organisations
• how to recruit and support more disabled people and apprentices with LDD
• advice on funding and how to ensure inclusion through the procurement of a training provider

There are simple steps you can take to support and recruit more disabled apprentices or those with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD), for example, by proactively supporting charitable campaigns and engaging with organisations that support disabled people and people with LDD.

From gaining additional funding to embedding inclusivity in your talent pipeline, in this section you can find out more about:

• engaging HR and board-level colleagues in this agenda
• funding - what's available and how to access it
• procurement of a training provider - how to embed inclusion and accessibility in the process
• positive action - in recruitment and retention to support disabled apprentices and apprentices with LDD
• behaviour change training with staff.

To find out how to make a candidate's recruitment more inclusive at every stage of the process, please see our candidate recruitment journey infographic.

For information about employing apprentices more generally, please explore our Apprenticeships section.

Apprenticeships for All

NHS Employers was commissioned by Health Education England to deliver and support a 'train the trainer' programme called Apprenticeships for All.

During 2018-19, NHS Employers worked closely with 18 NHS organisations, who applied for the training programme. A representative from each trust learnt how to deliver a line manager training programme focused on reflective and interactive training exercises.