There are more than eleven million disabled people in Great Britain, of whom nearly six million are of working age¹. By hiring and supporting disabled apprentices, employers find that they are better able to extend the pool of high-quality applicants available to them; engage with the widest possible consumer base; and have a workforce that reflects the diverse range of customers they serve.

It makes good business sense

Employing disabled staff helps businesses become more accessible to the ten million disabled customers in the UK who have a combined annual spending power of £80 billion². Research has shown that 82 per cent of disabled customers in the UK took their business to a more accessible competitor in 2011³. Furthermore, making adjustments for a disabled apprentice helps employers to make their workplaces accessible to other disabled candidates (often with exactly the talents and skills businesses want) and to existing employees who an employer has already invested in and will want to retain if they develop a disability or long-term medical condition. This, combined with the fact that the average Apprenticeship increases business productivity by £214 per week through increased profits, lower prices and better products⁴, demonstrates that hiring disabled apprentices makes good business sense.

It helps employers capture and retain the right talent

Recruiting disabled apprentices and employees can create a more diverse, creative and innovative workforce. By discouraging or inadvertently discriminating against disabled applicants, you may be missing the best candidates for your vacancies. 

It improves accessibility and support for other staff and customers

Many employers find that the additional support and equipment or changes in practice they implement for disabled apprentices or employees results in more comprehensive support for and engagement with customers and other staff. Often, the measures and adjustments put in place for disabled apprentices reflect good practice in supporting all employees. The employers we consulted in the development of this toolkit found that the cost of reasonable adjustments for most disabled apprentices were negligible or could be covered by the government’s Access to Work^definition scheme. Furthermore, 65 per cent of employers rate the financial effect of workplace adjustments to be cost neutral and 20 per cent identify an overall financial benefit⁵.

It improves staff productivity, retention and absence rates

There is evidence that disabled people tend to be loyal and productive employees and apprentices⁶. Research documents comparable productivity, lower accident rates and higher job retention rates between employees and apprentices with disabilities and a company’s general workforce. In fact, research carried out i Australia suggests that 90 per cent of disabled employees record productivity rates equal or greater than other workers⁷.

¹ Office for Disability^definition Issues (2014) http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/disability-statistics-and-research/disability-facts-and-figures.php#gd
² Business Disability Forum http://businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/customer-experience/the-evidence
³ Shape Arts (2012) http://www.shapearts.org.uk/media/795358/job%20placement%20working%20with%20young%20disabled%20people.pdf
⁴ National Apprenticeship Service http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/employers/the-basics.aspx
⁵ Shape Arts (2012) http://www.shapearts.org.uk/media/795358/job%20placement%20working%20with%20young%20disabled%20people.pdf
⁶ See for example United Nations (2007) Decent work for persons with disabilities; Unger, D. (2002) Employers’ attitude toward persons with disabilities in the workforce: Myths or realities?
⁷ Australian Network on Disability (2010) http://media.wix.com/ugd/596a90_a3a5346f6f8a5296a9bad7a07f4ec970.pdfShape Arts (2012) http://www.shapearts.org.uk/media/795358/job%20placement%20working%20with%20young%20disabled%20people.pdf