Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Beds Career Builder has a wealth of information and resources around Culture and Diversity, including:
- Supporting neurodiversity at work
- What is cultural intelligence?
- Thriving with ADHD at work
- Job hunting tips for autistic candidates
- Allyship in the workplace
- The what, why and how of women's networks
- Graduate Recruitment Webinar; disclosing your disability
The University of Bedfordshire's Student Support team offer confidential advice and information on a range of issues.
If you are concerned that your circumstances will affect potential employment opportunities, you are welcome to have a chat with one of our Employability Advisers to discuss this.
We offer a self-booking service so you can login to our careers portal (Handshake) and see what slots are available over the coming weeks. To do this, go to beds.joinhandshake.co.uk. To log-in select the University of Bedfordshire button and log in with your student ID and network password.
If you have graduated and your student ID has now expired find out how to access Handshake here.
Once logged in; select University of Bedfordshire Careers Centre, then Appointments. Appointments are available face-to-face (Luton and Bedford campus) or remotely (via Microsoft Teams/Telephone).
If you have any difficulties booking an appointment or accessing Handshake, please email careers@beds.ac.uk and a member of the Careers & Employability Service team will be happy to help.
Further information for students and graduates can be found below.
The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services has provided in-depth and up-to-date information for HE students graduates over many years. Their Disability Task Group focuses on careers resources for disabled students and graduates on looking for work, disclosing disabilities in job applications, attending interviews and much more!
For more information see:
Psychometric tests:
- For disabled candidates, there may be multiple challenges when completing a psychometric test. This could mean you are unable to complete these tests to the best of your ability, without adjustments. AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Services) have produced a guide that provides advice and guidance to ace that test!
Psychometric tests - a guide for disabled candidates [PDF]
More people from a wider variety of backgrounds are now entering higher education making for a diverse graduate labour market.
Advice and information is available from the following organisations to help those students who feel they would benefit from specialised support to enter the graduate job market.
- AGCAS - supporting disabled applicants into graduate schemes
- AllAboutLaw - break into a legal career; courses for under-represented communities
- Civil Service - Early Diversity Internship Programme
- Civil Service - Summer Diversity Internship Programme
- DirectGov - employment support and government work schemes
- Disability Jobsite - includes employer database, CV and interview advice
- Diversity Dashboard - jobs, events, recruiters and EDI updates
- Diversity Jobsite - specialise in recruitment for BAME students/graduates
- EmployAbility - support with the transition from education to employment
- Ethnic Jobsite - jobsite bridging the gap between employers and ethnic minorities
- Inclusive Companies National Diversity Network - inclusive jobs and advice for all backgrounds
- Inclusive Graduates - work with undergraduates and professionals from under-represented groups
- Leonard Cheshire Change 100 Internships - includes paid summer placements
- My Plus Students' Club - for students with disabilities or long-term health conditions
- National Careers Service - career and job support for people with a disability
- NACRO - support for young people who have been involved with crime
- Rare - specialists in diversity graduate recruitment
- Restless - age diverse employers across the UK
- Stonewall - support for the LGBTQ+ community
- TargetJobs - equality and diversity in graduate recruitment
- Uprising - leadership, mentoring and employability programmes for young people from diverse backgrounds
- Whizz-Kidz Employability - working with employers to provide support, training, placements and internships for young wheelchair users.
Disability Rights UK
Disability Rights UKOffer advice and support to disabled people who are studying or wish to study at any level on full-time or part-time education or training courses if
- the course is in England and
- they are over 16
The student helpline is sponsored by the Snowdon Trust.
Disability Rights UK - Disabled Students Helpline
Disabled Students' Allowance
If you have a disability, specific learning difficulty or long-term medical condition you may be eligible for funding from the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)
SCOPE
Student loans can help with course fees and living costs while you study. You can apply for funding to cover extra costs if you are disabled. This includes Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) and bursaries from universities or charitable trusts. Unlike student loans, you do not have to pay these back.
SCOPE - Funding for Disabled Students in Higher Education
Snowdon Trust
The charity provide grants to physically disabled and sensory impaired students studying in the UK - in further or higher education or those training towards employment.
Their grants help cover additional disability-related study costs that students incur and where available statutory funding does not cover them. Costs include vital support such as sign language interpreters, people to take notes, computers, specialist software, wheelchairs or special accommodation and equipment. Further details: snowdontrust.org
UCAS
If you have a disability, learn about additional funding you’re eligible for, to top up what you get through student finance or a Disabled Students’ Allowance:
UCAS - Scholarships, Grants and Bursaries: Disabled Students
address
Careers & Employability Service
University of Bedfordshire
University Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
Social media
twitter - unibedscareers
facebook - unibedscareers
instagram - unibedscareers
instagram - uniofbedsvolunteering
Please note that the University of Bedfordshire Careers & Employability Service does not endorse specific employers or organisations linked to the website.
telephone
During office hours
(Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm)
+44 (0)1234 400 400
Outside office hours
(Campus Watch)
+44 (0)1582 743 989
General Careers Enquiries
careers@beds.ac.uk
Employers
recruit@beds.ac.uk
Employability Units
employabilityunits@beds.ac.uk
Professional Practice Year Placements
cesplacements@beds.ac.uk