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Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Thousands of youngsters with SEND to get more support in finding work experience
Ministers are driving ahead with efforts to help more youngsters get valuable skills for work amid a shocking one in eight young people not in employment, education or training Thousands of young people with special educational needs will get more support in securing work experience after a £12million funding boost. Some 4,500 people with SEND will get employment experience after the Department for Education today extended the 'supported internships' programme. As part of efforts to help more youngsters get valuable skills for work, 16-24 year olds with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will be able to secure a work placement which is supported by a job coach. The job coach provides tailored in-work support to the intern, including checking their understanding of tasks and providing training. They also work with the employer to help them understand the intern's needs and how to approach them. Work experience will include placements in hospitals, supermarkets, banks and more. Minister for School Standards Catherine McKinnell told The Mirror: 'Devastatingly, according to Impetus, young people with SEND are 80% more likely to not be in employment, education or training. "For thousands of young people, this means losing out on opportunities to get on in life, as well as missing out on a sense of community and independence. We're committed to turning this around.' The £12m funding injection for this year alone is far more than £18m previously invested in the programme over the past three years. Half of the funding - £6m - will go towards piloting supported internships in at least 12 local authorities with young people who don't have an EHCP, but who have learning difficulties or disabilities and are furthest from the labour market. It is double the £3m that was committed for the first two years of the pilot. An EHCP is for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support. The work experience announcement comes after ministers earlier this week set out plans to train more brickies, carpenters and healthcare support workers by creating 120,000 new career-supporting opportunities. Under the plans, the apprenticeship budget for 2025-26 has for the first time been lifted to more than £3billion - up from last year's £2.73billion. The efforts are part of a drive to get more young people into a job amid a shocking one in eight young people not in employment, education or training. Elsewhere ministers have also today pledged £9.5m in funding for a neurodiversity inclusion programme in schools. The scheme involves training teachers to identify and better meet children's needs. Around 300,000 children, including those with conditions such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, will benefit from the programme. Ms McKinnell added: 'The number of young people struggling to secure work opportunities is a clear symptom of a SEND system that isn't supporting children early in life to build the skills they need. 'That's why we're also taking action to make sure that support is there from the very earliest years, so that those who are struggling with everything from speech and language to autism and ADHD, are able to achieve and thrive.'
Daily Mirror
14-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Parents finally given more free childcare options - find out how to apply
Childcare arrangements are often cited as the main challenge parents face when wanting to return to work - but more has been done to help busy mothers and fathers More eligible working parents in England can now apply for government funded childcare. Parents often struggle to return to work due to the availability - or cost - of quality childcare. However, the government has this week increased its funded childcare scheme and so mothers and fathers across England can now explore new opportunities to get back to work or do more hours in their profession. The scheme, the Department for Education says, also gives young children the chance to build confidence, learn social skills, and prepare for school. The Mirror here outlines what the changes mean for you and how you can apply for a space at nursery, or a childminder setting for your little one. From September, parents working at least 16 hours a week may be eligible for 30 hours of funded childcare, for their children aged at least nine months on or before August 31. Places are funded from the term after your child turns nine months old until they start reception. There is also a 15-hour scheme for families on certain benefits. The Department for Education says if you are not eligible for 30 hours of funded childcare, your child may be eligible for 15 hours instead. All parents of children aged three to four in England can access a universal offer of 15 hours of government funded early education from the term after their child turns three. It now doesn't matter how much you earn or how many hours you work. Parents of two-year-olds can also access 15 hours a week of funded early education and childcare if they receive additional forms of support. This includes support like being on Universal Credit and earning less than £15,400 a year, or if your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, or has been looked after by a local authority. Places are funded from the term after a child turns two. For all these schemes, the childcare provider must be approved – so informal providers such as grandparents don't count. The funding covers up to 15 or 30 hours of early education and childcare a week for 38 weeks a year. You may be able to spread this funding over more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks. You should check with your childcare provider to find out if this is something they offer. Some providers may ask you to pay for extra costs, like meals, nappies or trips. Eligibility depends on whether you're working, your income, your child's age and circumstances and your immigration status. Full details about eligibility requirements can be found here. There are different early education and childcare support schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. To apply for 30 hours government funded childcare, you should sign into your account here. You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old. If you want to get 30 hours from September 2025, then you will need to apply by 31 August. You should speak to your provider to confirm you can use your full 30 hours from September. You will need your Government Gateway user ID to login.
