Posted April 03rd 2025
The visit comes just a few days after the First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan MS stated that the Welsh Government will use lessons learnt from the Engage to Change project to shape its Employability Support programme in 2027.
The minister met with NCMH researchers, partners from Learning Disability Wales, as well as individuals who have participated in supported internships leading to successful employment through Engage to Change, and their family members.
Tackling employment barriers for young people with learning disabilities and autism
People with a learning disability have a low employment rate of just 4.8% (BASE 2023). Engage to Change was a pan Wales project, funded through the National Lottery Community Fund and supported by the Welsh Government.
The project used a Supported Employment model, with job coaching, to help young people with a learning disability or autism tackle employment barriers and transition into a paid job. The project successfully provided employment support to 1075 young people and delivered 244 supported internships, gaining an overall paid employment rate of 41%.
During her visit, the minister had an opportunity to hear powerful testimonies from Jacob Meighan, Tyler Savory and Andrew Worsey who have all been employed within NCMH following successful supported internship placements through Engage to Change. Between them, they have undertaken roles as research administrators, administration assistants and a Cardiff University honorary research associate.
Both Tyler and Andrew explained that participating in the programme has given them confidence, leading to delivering numerous talks on topics such as equality, diversity and inclusion, and the difference that paid employment has made to their lives. Jacob spoke to the Minister about the importance of having a good mentor and finding the right team to support the needs of young people with autism and/ or learning disabilities.
Andrew Worsey’s parents said:
“We cannot fully express just how much our son has developed in the five years he has been working at NCMH, and our gratitude for all those involved in making this a reality. He is much more confident in life and his job has provided a real sense of purpose and well-being.”
Learning from Engage to Change
As the Engage to Change project comes to an end on 31 March, Andrew and Jacob are now looking for new employment positions and Tyler has recently been successful in gaining new employment and a promotion within Cardiff University.
Together with Engage to Change ambassador and NCMH Honourary Associate, Gerraint Jones-Griffiths, the three were able to provide valuable feedback on how the Minister and Welsh Government can continue to support young people with autism and learning disabilities. They highlighted a need for better transition from education to paid employment, as well as the provision of supported employment and job coaching across Wales through a national Job Coaching strategy. They suggested that hearing the voices of young people with autism and learning disabilities will be essential in any future research and policy rollout.
Engage to Change lead, Dr Elisa Vigna said:
“Engage to Change research shows what works. We look forward to seeing how the Mental Health and Wellbeing Minister supports this development to ensure that people with learning disabilities and autism have equality of opportunity in employment across Wales.”
- Read more about the latest reports from Engage to Change.
Please note that the Engage to Change project is no longer accepting open referrals across Wales.
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