Employability passports are becoming an essential tool in supporting students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) as they transition from education to the workforce. 

These digital records are designed to document achievements, skill development, and personal progress, making them particularly beneficial for SEND students who may face unique challenges in their career journey. When combined with a student’s Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP), an employability passport can significantly enhance their employment prospects by creating a more holistic record of skills, abilities, and support needs.

Here’s a closer look at how employability passports can help SEND students and how schools and educators can use them alongside EHCPs to foster a smoother transition into the workforce.

What is an Employability Passport?

An employability passport is a comprehensive record that documents a student’s skills, qualifications, work experience, and any other employability-related achievements. It’s more than just a CV; it’s a portfolio that grows with the student and highlights key areas such as:

  • Academic qualifications – Formal records of exams, certifications, and vocational training.
  • Skills and competencies – Such as problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and job-specific skills.
  • Personal development – Personal skills, personal goals, and progress made in areas that contribute to employability.
  • Work experience – Record of placements, internships, or volunteering experiences.

For SEND students, the passport can include additional support details that may be vital for future employers or mentors to understand the accommodations or resources the student may need to thrive.

We have written a blog post that covers Employability Passports in depth here. 

How the Employability Passport Works with Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs)

An EHCP outlines a SEND student’s needs in education, health, and social care and the support required to meet these needs. 

The Employability Passport gives students with EHCP’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase and collect evidence of their progress for their yearly review as well as create a document that potential employers can review to understand any reasonable adjustments they may need to make when hiring the student. The Startingpoint platform has made updating the Employability Passport incredibly easy and accessible for both students and caregivers 

Please note that the EHCP itself would not be uploaded to the platform as this is a private medical document, but relevant information can be recorded. 

  Here’s how this can be done effectively:

  • Customising the passport to include sections directly related to EHCP goals and outcomes.
  • Linking educational achievements to specific skills or targets in the EHCP, showing a progression in areas that improve employability.
  • Documenting health and support needs to ensure future employers have access to relevant support information.
  • Tracking personal growth and resilience, which are often documented in an EHCP but can now be linked to employability skills, supporting the student’s readiness for work.

This alignment helps ensure the passport reflects the student’s unique journey and achievements beyond just academic metrics, providing a fuller picture of their employability potential.

Benefits for SEND Students

Employability passports can open up a range of opportunities for SEND students. By keeping a continuous, holistic record of their development, passports can help SEND students:

a) Identify and Build on Strengths

The employability passport serves as a record of progress, allowing students to see how far they have come and identify areas where they excel. This can be incredibly motivating and can help SEND students build confidence in their capabilities. By clearly documenting skills and achievements, it also allows them to showcase their strengths effectively to potential employers.

b) Access to Personalised Support

A well-documented passport, informed by the EHCP, can communicate a SEND student’s support needs to future employers, who may then be better prepared to make reasonable adjustments. Employers can also better understand specific support requirements upfront, facilitating smoother onboarding and accommodation arrangements.

c) Facilitate Career Guidance and Decision-Making

When students, their families, and support staff have access to a clear, well-organised record of a student’s achievements and skills, it can inform better career guidance. Seeing tangible evidence of their progress can help students make informed decisions about potential career paths, further education, or training.

d) Streamline the Transition to Employment

For SEND students, the transition to work can be daunting, especially if employers are not fully aware of the student’s abilities and needs. By combining an EHCP with an employability passport, students can provide a seamless overview to employers, helping bridge the gap between school and work and making it easier for employers to assess fit and provide the necessary support.

e) Promotes Inclusion 

Employability passports reinforce that everyone’s skills and support needs can coexist and complement each other. As employers use passports to onboard SEND students, it strengthens workplace culture around accessibility and inclusion, helping employers and co-workers embrace diversity in practice, which enriches the whole organisational culture.

Practical Steps for Schools and Educators

To make employability passports as effective as possible, schools and educators can take the following steps:

  • Encourage regular updates: Make it a habit for students to update their passports regularly, incorporating achievements and milestones.
  • Incorporate into career planning: Use employability passports as part of SEND students’ career planning sessions to help them map their strengths and interests to future employment opportunities.
  • Provide training on passport use: Teach students and their parents how to use the passport effectively to showcase skills and support needs.
  • Collaborate with potential employers: When possible, involve local employers in the passport process so they better understand how to interpret and use the information provided.

Looking Forward: Expanding the Use of Employability Passports for SEND

The potential for employability passports goes beyond just recording skills and qualifications. They can be a tool for advocacy, empowerment, and independence, helping SEND students navigate the workforce on their terms. By incorporating EHCPs and making employability passports more widely recognised and used by employers, we can work towards a future where SEND students are not only supported in the workplace but are celebrated for their unique contributions.

Employability passports, particularly when combined with a student’s EHCP, have the potential to transform SEND education and workforce transition. By providing a comprehensive record that reflects their strengths, support needs, and achievements, these passports pave the way for SEND students to enter the workforce with confidence and for employers to welcome them with understanding and readiness.