3 ways to support neurodivergent apprentices in end-point assessment

Neurodiversity is increasingly being recognised as a benefit to organisations, with neurodivergent employees bringing a whole host of different skills, cognitive approaches and fresh perspectives to the workplace. A study found that companies with neurodivergent teams are 25% more likely to be considered ‘innovative’ by their peers, with neurodiverse teams having higher instances of out-of-the-box thinking.  

Yet getting the qualifications they need to enter the workplace can be challenging for neurodivergent people, as traditional assessment methods can sometimes create unnecessary barriers, resulting in high drop-out rates if their specific needs aren’t communicated or met by the EPAO. With this in mind, it becomes easier to see why – despite those great benefits around neurodiversity listed above – only 16% of autistic adults are in full-time employment.   

Reasonable adjustments: creating a fair opportunity for neurodivergent apprentices 

With Neurodiversity Celebration Week coming up this March, we want to focus on something that makes a real difference to training and employment opportunities for people who are neurodivergent: reasonable adjustments.  

Reasonable adjustments are an essential, not to mention legal, requirement for End-Point Assessment Organisations (EPAOs). EPAOs play a vital role in ensuring neurodivergent apprentices have a fair and supportive assessment experience, and by understanding both your legal requirements and the difference your approach makes to individual experiences, you can help every apprentice demonstrate their true potential. 

Here, we look at how you can you make sure you’re providing the best experience for neurodivergent apprentices and trainees.  

1. Make sure your team know their legal obligations 

Under the Equality Act 2010, training providers and EPAOs have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for apprentices with disabilities, including neurodiverse conditions. This means assessment processes must be designed to accommodate different needs without compromising the integrity of the qualification. Failure to make these adjustments can be considered discrimination, potentially leading to legal consequences and, more importantly, disadvantaging talented individuals who might otherwise thrive.  

For context: in 2018, an apprentice with dyslexia took the Secretary of State for Education to court over the failure of apprenticeship providers to offer appropriate accommodations for neurodivergent apprentices. The case highlighted the issue for apprenticeship providers and has led to more stringent conformity to regulations in the sector. 

2. Promote understanding of reasonable adjustments and why they matter within your organisation 

While attitudes are improving, many neurodivergent individuals still report feeling uncomfortable about requesting adjustments, often due to concerns about being perceived as "different" or "less capable" (in the workplace, only 35% of autistic employees are fully open about being autistic, according to a recent study).  It’s important that EPAOs promote understanding, for everyone in the assessment process, that these adjustments are essential to creating a fair and balanced assessment for every apprentice and not just a legal obligation. Providing training that delves deeper into neurodivergence and why adjustments matter can help everyone to work together to create a more inclusive assessment process. Apprentices should feel confident to highlight their neurodivergence, ask for adjustments, and know that they will be met with understanding and empathy.  

3. Make every apprentice’s ‘reasonable adjustments’ easy for everyone to access 

There have been cases where students or apprentices have been erroneously denied their reasonable adjustments during an assignment, purely because the facilitator ‘didn’t know’. Streamlining communications is critical to making sure this doesn’t happen. Your end point assessment platform should have every apprentice’s reasonable adjustments clearly flagged and accessible to any relevant party. It not only protects EPAOs from a legal perspective, but ensures that apprentices have a better experience: it can make a stressful situation even more difficult and uncomfortable if an apprentice has to remind assessors of their adjustments, or if they feel like they have to fight to be heard.  

Improving the End-Point Assessment Experience 

Creating a more inclusive assessment environment doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple steps, such as offering alternative formats for instructions, providing additional time, or allowing a quiet space for assessments, can make a significant difference. Clear communication with apprentices ahead of their assessments can also help reduce anxiety, ensuring they know what to expect and what support is available. Importantly, making sure that all of the above adjustments are clearly signposted whenever someone interacts with an apprentice is essential, which is why platforms like epaPRO (or Accolade for general awarding) are so critical to assessments.  

A more inclusive approach to end-point assessment benefits everyone. By recognising the value of neurodiverse talent and taking proactive steps to support all apprentices, EPAOs contribute to a fairer, more dynamic workforce. Supporting neurodiverse apprentices isn’t just about compliance—it’s about ensuring that every apprentice has the opportunity to succeed, bringing their full potential to their chosen profession. 

 If you want to know more about how Skilltech Solutions’ platforms epaPRO and Accolade can help you to create a fairer and more accessible assessment process, book a demo with our team. https://www.skilltechsolutions.co.uk/request-a-demo  

Sources  

https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/media/109514758/neurodiversity-in-business-birkbeck-university-of-london.pdf  

https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/news/government-must-tackle-the-autism-employment-gap  

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-buckland-review-of-autism-employment-report-and-recommendations/the-buckland-review-of-autism-employment-report-and-recommendations