Research and innovation
Evaluation of employment practice for disabled employees
Hereword College is conducting a joint research project with the University of Derby and West Midlands Combined Authority to evaluate employment practice for disabled employees.
The research will provide a critical understanding of the employment of people with disabilities by major employers in the West Midlands.
It will produce an in-depth contextualised view of the benefits to both employers and employees through gathering the perspectives of:
- Staff who recruit and support disabled employees
- Staff who provide training for colleagues about disability
- Line managers
- Disabled employees.
Analysis of the interviews and survey data will develop an understanding of the benefits and challenges of employing disabled employees and highlight what constitutes best practice.
The project will impact and benefit:
- Employers by highlighting best practice and challenges
- Schools, colleges and other settings who feed the employers
- Professional organisations such as the Association of Colleges (AoC) and Natspec
- Policy makers by contributing to an 'on the ground' understanding of how protocols and guidelines are enacted by employers
In 2024-25, 79% of students at Hereward College who had employment as an outcome progressed to paid or voluntary employment. The figure of 47% for paid employment is almost ten times the national average*.
* 5.1% of adults with a learning disability known to their local authority in England are in paid work (NHS Digital, 2021).