SEND students to STEM: unlocking doors for all students

Here, Sheila Flavell, CEO of FDM Group explores why training programmes, structured pipelines, and supportive culture are integral in enabling students to connect with the STEM career they aspire to be in.

Sheila Flavell, CEO of FDM Group

As demand for tech and engineering talent continues to grow, the underrepresentation of SEND students is not just a social equity concern, but a missed opportunity for the sector.

Unlocking their potential requires more than goodwill, but calls for targeted training, structured pathways from classrooms to careers and workplace cultures that recognise and actively support all abilities. Now is the time to close the gap, both for the students whose ambitions deserve to be realised and for the industries that urgently need their passion and skills.

Build skills, unlock potential

To truly unlock the potential of SEND students in STEM, they must be equipped with the skills they need in the ways that work for them. Specialised training programmes in areas such as coding, digital design, and IT support can offer accessible routes into technology and engineering careers, but they must be designed with inclusivity at their core.

To tailor training to the diverse learning profiles of SEND students, training providers must move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to education in STEM. Adaptive technologies such as screen readers, voice recognition software, and customised user interfaces can make digital tools more navigable and engaging. Differentiated instruction allows for multiple pathways to understanding, while flexible pacing ensures students can learn at a speed that suits their individual needs and strengths.

By embedding these elements into training programmes, educators can create environments where SEND students not only build technical competence but also gain confidence in their ability to succeed in STEM. This, in turn, cultivates a talent pipeline that reflects a broader spectrum of society, one that values neurodiversity and sees different ways of thinking as assets rather than obstacles to be avoided.

Connecting classrooms to careers

Bridging the gap between education and employment is crucial and requires creating structured pipelines from classrooms to careers to make this transition more inclusive and successful. Partnerships between schools, colleges, and tech companies can be a valuable key to achieving this. Offering tailored apprenticeships, inclusive work experience placements, and mentoring schemes designed to support different learning needs can be a way for employers to help SEND students build real-world skills and confidence in professional environments.

This is particularly powerful when this exposure occurs early on. Early exposure to these workplaces allows students to visualise themselves in roles they may have thought

inaccessible while giving employers the chance to recognise and nurture untapped talent. Mentoring, especially from professionals with lived experience of disability or neurodiversity, can be particularly impactful, helping students feel seen, supported, and understood.

SEND-ing a clear message

It’s one thing to create training avenues for SEND students into STEM, but without the cultural transformation, they will continue to face barriers to entry. To truly welcome diverse talent, both training providers and businesses must foster environments that allow individuals to feel supported, valued, and understood.

In schools and or training programmes, this means embedding inclusive values early, ensuring SEND students not only receive the right adjustments but are also shown that they are and will continue to be represented in STEM pathways and leadership. Representation and celebrating diverse thinking, particularly early on, are key to building confidence and ambition, ensuring this motivation doesn’t dwindle.

For workplaces, this means moving beyond policy to make diversity and inclusion a lived reality. This entails embedding accessibility throughout, from recruitment and onboarding to team cultures and career progression, where SEND individuals can progress and feel their needs will be supported without stigma.

Time to STEM the SEND gap

The ability and ambition of SEND students in STEM is clear, but without the right support, opportunities and culture, their potential risks going unrealised.

By investing in tailored skills programmes, building inclusive pathways into the industry and fostering cultures that support and celebrate all learners, we can create a future where SEND students don’t just aspire to STEM careers, they thrive in them. In doing so, we have a valuable opportunity to strengthen the tech and engineering sectors with diverse, capable minds and fresh perspectives.

Inclusion fuels innovation and when every student has a chance to contribute, the whole sector moves forward.