CSHE Webinar: Beyond Access: Making Work Placements Inclusive for Students with Disabilities

Widening access to higher education for students with disabilities does not necessarily ensure equitable participation in experiences that can support their transition to employment. Work placements are an important mechanism for supporting the university-to-work transition by providing opportunities to develop work-related experience, skills and confidence. However, students with disabilities may face barriers to accessing and participating in these opportunities. Drawing on surveys across eight Irish higher education institutions, the Research Ireland New Foundations project examined barriers and facilitators to equitable participation in work placements. The project identifies two key findings. First, there is a mismatch between barriers and supports. Many barriers arise in the workplace or from wider structural conditions, while support remains concentrated on students and higher education institutions. This highlights the need to better align support with where barriers arise and strengthen shared responsibility among the actors involved in work placements. Second, patterns of barriers differ across compulsory, professionally mandated, and optional placements. Inclusive practice therefore needs to respond to different placement models rather than adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. About the Speaker: Dr Miguel Flores, SFHEA, is Assistant Professor in Economics and Programme Director for Work Placements at the National College of Ireland (NCI). His research focuses on university-to-work transitions, work-integrated learning, graduate outcomes, and inclusion. Before joining NCI, he worked at the University of East Anglia and the University of Surrey, UK. His higher education research has been published in journals including Studies in Higher Education, Higher Education Research & Development, and Teaching in Higher Education. Most recently, he led a Research Ireland New Foundations project examining inclusive work placements for students with disabilities across Irish higher education.