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Inclusive Employer Engagement Tool in Action
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Authors
Editors
Date
2026
Educational Level
ISCED Level 4 Post-secondary Non-tertiary Education
Curriculum Area
Geographical Setting
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Abstract
Building on its work as an ETF Employer Spoke, Hampshire County Council developed and deployed an inclusive recruitment tool to strengthen employer engagement and prepare SEND learners for interviews. Challenges included anxiety around interviews, limited access to authentic employer practice, and the need to model inclusive recruitment approaches to businesses. Actions included co-design of sector recruitment webpages, advance sharing of interview questions with learners, mock interview delivery with six employers, supportive travel training, curriculum-embedded preparation, and environmental adjustments to interviews. Evidence of impact includes participation of 39 Hampshire Achieves learners, increased learner confidence and communication skills, strong positive learner and employer feedback, employers demonstrating intention to embed inclusive recruitment practices, and the formal adoption of inclusive recruitment techniques within the council's own workforce recruitment processes.
Description
Keywords (free text)
further education, 16-19 education, inclusion, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), preparation for employment, mock interviews