A difficult time in education does not determine what comes next. For many neurodivergent young people, the world of work is where things finally start to make sense.
In fact, the qualities that often make school challenging are exactly what make people exceptional in their work. For example: the ability to focus deeply on things that matter. Attention to detail others miss. A directness that cuts through noise. Creative thinking that does not follow the expected path.
According to a Deloitte study, neurodiverse teams can be up to 30% more productive and make fewer errors than neurotypical teams.
Yet, for young people in general, the step into employment can be a challenging one. According to the UK House of Commons Library, close to a million young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK, about 12.8% of that age group, are not in education, employment, or training (NEETs).
The move from education into employment is where support most often disappears. School ends, or college doesn’t work out, and suddenly the path into employment becomes unclear.
If school was challenging, it is likely your self-esteem took a hit along the way. Getting to a place where you feel confident in your career search takes time, support, and a fair amount of kindness towards yourself. That is not a weakness. It is just where many people are starting from.
Confidence builds when you understand what you are actually good at and when work stops feeling like an unknowable thing and starts feeling like somewhere you could belong.
The starting point is different for everyone. But these are the things that we have found tend to make a real difference and so, we have built our programme around them:
None of this happens overnight. But each step builds on the last. What we see, again and again, is that once young people feel genuinely prepared, the confidence follows.
“As soon as you get your first piece of work experience, you are off. The skills and responsibilities start building, and then so does the confidence.”
If your child has had a difficult time in education, it is natural to feel anxious about what comes next. The transition into work can feel like a big leap from where you are.
One of the most valuable things you can do is start naming your child’s strengths out loud and doing it in the moment. Not as general encouragement, but specifically. When they fix something at home, when they explain a complex topic clearly, when they show patience, focus, or creativity in any context at all, say it. “That’s a real skill. That’s the kind of thing an employer would value.”
It matters because many young people genuinely cannot see what they have. We ran a mock interview recently with a young man who speaks three languages. He didn’t mention it once. Not because he was nervous or forgetful. It simply hadn’t occurred to him that it was relevant. It was just part of who he was and something he had always done.
That is how it works for many neurodivergent young people. Their most impressive qualities are so much a part of them that they do not register as remarkable. The job of the people around them, at home as much as anywhere else, is to reflect those qualities back. Consistently, specifically, and long before any interview or application comes into view.
Beyond that, patience over pressure. The goal is not to have everything mapped out. It is to take the next practical step for example, one piece of work experience or one conversation with a careers adviser.
If you are a young person ready to take your next step into work, or a parent seeking clear guidance for your child, get in touch with us today.
As part of our partnership with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Basingstoke youth hub – hosted by Inclusion EB8 is now available – an additional programme for young people who don’t have an EHCP.
If you think you might qualify for an EHCP but don’t yet have one, our admissions advisor can help explain the process and point you towards the right support. Many young people who need one simply haven’t had the right help to apply yet.
This service is accessed via the DWP and offers sessions focused on developing work skills, employability, experience, and confidence.
If you’re a social worker, SENCO, careers advisor, or support worker, you can refer a young person to EB8. We work collaboratively with multi-agency teams to ensure smooth transitions and joined-up support.
Contact us to discuss a referral: info@eb8basingstoke.org.uk or 01256 805710