Enhancing neurodivergent graduates’ employment: a graduate capabilities approach

Empowering neurodiverse individuals, equality at work and reasonable adjustments are between the most challenging requests employers are currently dealing with and often feel left alone in finding best practices in these areas.

Moving from a university setting to a workplace is a particularly challenging and crucial phase of this process for neurodiverse individuals trying to find their voice and place in a complex society like the one where we live.  

This is a participatory research project funded by Research England and is a collaboration between the University of Southampton, Lancaster University and Association for Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS). It aims to establish a knowledge base regarding the graduate capitals of neurodivergent graduates and gain understanding regarding their experiences of transitioning to employment.

This specifically aims to understand the kinds of barriers or opportunities that neurodivergent graduates face and how they feel their neurodivergence may influence their job market experiences. It also investigates employers’ perceptions of neurodivergent graduates within the current market context as a means of gaining better insight into graduates’ preparation and employer needs.  

This research will use the data developed in this project to inform workshops and other related training in support of neurodivergent graduates’ career development. This will further extend to working with graduate employers and university career services to support the employment experiences and sustainable career development of these graduates. Our longer-term goal is to further engage in collaborative research, development and training with employers and other key policy stakeholders to shape future policy and research in the intersection between disability and workforce development. 

For more information or would like to collaborate with us, contact us at educationKEE@soton.ac.uk.