Neurodivergent young people face barriers to work experience opportunities

BDO’s Young Minds survey of 2,000 young people aged 18-25 has found stark disparities in access to high quality careers advice and work experience. This gap widened further in the demographic of young people who have a neurodivergent condition or learning disability.

Sarah Hillary, Partner sponsor for Inclusion & Belonging at BDO comments:

“Now in its fourth year, BDO’s Young Minds survey looks at the attitudes, influences and beliefs of today's young people. Whether already in the workplace or at the very start of their careers, what our research shows this year is that many of today's young people are not able to access high quality advice and guidance to be able to properly inform their career choices.

“Furthermore, neurodivergent young people feel they are not being afforded the same work experience opportunities as their peers. This demonstrates a clear and urgent need for structured employer engagement and guaranteed equal access to careers support to ensure no young person is locked out of opportunity before their careers even begin.

“Fostering an inclusive environment which meets the needs of neurodivergent people and embraces difference is more than a moral imperative - it benefits both employees and organisations.

“It's crucial for businesses to create and maintain a culture where every individual feels valued and empowered. We need to show young people entering the workplace that diversity of thought drives success and, by valuing our differences, we unlock a wealth of creativity and innovation.

Miles Nikolic is an Audit Quality Manager at BDO and was formally diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum as a young adult. He says:

"When I think about equal access to opportunities for individuals with a neurodivergent condition, it strikes me that talent is widely distributed but access is not.

“What levels the playing field is when employers are clear about what 'good' looks like. Transparent processes, flexibility in how to work and managers who focus on outcomes over performance ‘theatre’ helps a lot.

“Neurodivergent young people will often face challenges in the workplace. In order to raise the bar in creating equitable opportunities for all, employers need to actively demonstrate their willingness to provide reasonable adjustments and be open minded and curious to the ways in which people may demonstrate their knowledge differently.”

ENDS

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Nikki Barnsley-Walker
Corporate Affairs Assistant Manager, BDO
Nikki.barnsley-walker@bdo.co.uk

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