Disability, Education, and Work in a Global Knowledge Economy

Governments around the world press for higher levels of education and skills for all their young people. They believe that, despite recessions and job losses, people are “human capital” who need to invest in their own training and help grow economies. In England in 2019, disabled adults made up 20% of potential workers, but only half of them were employed. This chapter discusses the changing nature of the labor market and the place of young people regarded as having special educational needs or disabilities in education and training, noting that despite a shift to a social model of disability, social and work environments often fail to adapt to those with disabilities. Education and training for disabled young people have usually been at lower levels and the jobs on offer for them lower skilled and waged. But, more recently in England, disabled students have been recognized as a significant presence with more taking higher skilled and professional jobs after graduation. The chapter briefly compares the situation in England with that of Germany and Finland.