Evidence and adjustments
Not everybody goes from school to university to work. A great many people go school or college, then an apprenticeship or training route, then employment, and the support systems on that path are different again. This page covers what changes, who to ask, and where dyslexia evidence may or may not be needed.
What actually changes
An apprenticeship combines paid work with structured training and, usually, assessment. That is a genuine strength for many dyslexic learners, and it also means support has to be arranged in two places.
Handbooks, e-learning modules, portfolios and written assignments. Materials in advance, digital formats that work with text-to-speech, and recorded sessions all help.
Being shown a task, then doing it. Multi-step verbal instructions, jargon and remembering procedures are the usual pressure points, a written follow-up solves most of it.
Where qualifications or English and maths requirements apply, adjustments are decided by the awarding organisation, within the current rules. Ask your provider early.
You do not need a diagnosis to describe a difficulty. Specific and practical works better than a label: 'please send instructions by email as well' is easy to agree.
Education support and employment support work differently. Moving between them, support that felt automatic at school has to be asked for again.
Employers have duties under the Equality Act 2010 to consider reasonable adjustments for disabled workers. What is reasonable depends on the role and the situation.
Asking for support
They usually have a learning support or safeguarding lead. Much can be arranged straight away (formats, extra tutorial time, assistive software) without any formal evidence.
Adjustments to formal assessments may need evidence of need. Ask what the awarding organisation requires, and by when.
Line manager or HR. Be concrete about tasks and what would help, rather than describing dyslexia in general terms.
Access to Work is a separate government grant scheme that can help pay for practical support at work. It has its own process, and decisions are made by DWP.
Check the current rules
Apprenticeship rules change regularly, so these pages, rather than our summary, are the authority.
How apprenticeships work in England, including the training and qualification requirements.
Decision made by: The training provider and employer
The current rules on English and maths requirements within apprenticeships, including where exemptions or alternative arrangements may apply.
Decision made by: The training provider, within the current funding rules
A grant scheme that can help pay for practical support at work, such as equipment, software or support workers. Applications are assessed individually.
Decision made by: The Access to Work team at DWP
An overview of the duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled workers. What is reasonable depends on the situation.
Decision made by: The employer, considering the individual circumstances
Common questions
Usually both your training provider and your employer, because an apprenticeship sits in two places at once. The provider handles the training and any qualifications; the employer handles the working day. Support can come from either, and often the two need to speak to each other.
Not automatically. Providers can often adjust how training is delivered without any formal evidence. Where a formal adjustment to an examination is being requested, the awarding organisation may ask for evidence of need. Ask what they require before arranging anything.
English and maths requirements within apprenticeships are set by the current funding rules and change from time to time, including where exemptions or alternative arrangements may apply. Your provider is the right person to ask, and the current GOV.UK funding rules are the authoritative source.
Not at all. Learning by doing, being shown a task, and building genuine expertise on the job suit a great many dyslexic people better than sitting in a classroom did. The parts that need thought are usually the written and administrative edges, not the work itself.
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Where people usually go from here.
