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He鈥檚 hard working, he knows the industry, he鈥檚 got experience, and most of all, he鈥檚 resilient and determined. He鈥檚 also part of a big talent pool which has largely been untapped.

Getting a job in the construction industry should have been easy for Simon Eyers. Such is his talent, he did get the job he wanted in the end, but it was far from easy. In fact, it was a lot more difficult for Eyers than any of the other applicants, due to a reason which seems to have put off the vast majority of employers in construction: he was born deaf and mute.

He has become a qualified electrician and at just 21 years old is close to graduating a year early from his street lighting apprenticeship at FM Conway, having been there for over a year now. He seems to have excelled in his role. But without a government scheme called Access to Work 鈥� which pays for support to help people with disabilities get a job or stay in work 鈥� it could all have been very different for him.

Speaking through an interpreter, Eyers talks about the many challenges he has had to overcome 鈥� both in life and his career 鈥� to get to where he is today. He has grown up in a world where you need to listen and make yourself heard to be a success, which has left him at an obvious disadvantage.

But he says: 鈥淚 grew up in a world of barriers so I鈥檝e always been very determined to break through those barriers. I鈥檓 never one to just accept it.鈥�

Going mainstream

Having gone to a deaf school with 30 classmates, it鈥檚 that determination which has seen Eyers beat the odds and get a 鈥渕ainstream鈥� job, one where he鈥檚 not working with other deaf people. Only one other person out of the 30 has landed work, securing a job as a plumber in the family business. Whereas this person used family connections in their industry, Eyers didn鈥檛 rely on any in getting his job.

The process to get there was lengthy 鈥� after graduating from college he applied for over 300 jobs over the course of six months, but only got one interview, which was at FM Conway.

Once invited to interview with FM Conway, there were issues with an interpreter. He remembers: 鈥淭hey said 鈥榓ctually it鈥檚 your role [to provide an interpreter]鈥� and I went 鈥榓ctually no as an employer it鈥檚 your role, it鈥檚 my right under the legislation鈥�.鈥� He was then required to go through a two-week appraisal where his employers could check he was able to do his job on a physical level.

But despite the drawn-out hiring process, FM Conway took a chance and hired Eyers, making him the first deaf highways electrician in the UK. It鈥檚 an opportunity Eyers is grateful for. He says: 鈥淔M Conway has been brilliant. They gave me a chance other employers didn鈥檛 just because I was deaf.鈥�

It鈥檚 not intentional discrimination but I think if you put deaf on your CV they will prioritise that over your skills

Liz Garvey, head of HR at FM Conway, says: 鈥淗aving interviewed him, it was clear Simon was someone we needed in our business. He was bright, competent and enthusiastic 鈥� everything you look for in an apprentice.鈥�

Clearly, communication with Eyers鈥� colleagues can be tricky. Some have tried to make an effort and learn basic sign language, but the camaraderie and banter is lacking. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like we hang out at the pub after work,鈥� he admits, 鈥渂ut during the working day it鈥檚 fine.鈥�

There have also been a couple of times where his colleagues have ribbed him. 鈥淭here are a few instances where I鈥檝e misinterpreted what I鈥檝e been asked to do and I鈥檝e got it wrong and it鈥檚 been a big joke,鈥� he says. But does it bother him? 鈥淵ou get used to it and just brush it off,鈥� Eyers says. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the point of being angry about it? I鈥檇 come off looking worse.鈥�

In addition, there is also a bit of apathy from some of Eyers鈥� colleagues towards communicating with him. 鈥淎 lot of people find it鈥檚 a little bit too much for them, which is disappointing,鈥� he says. But he doesn鈥檛 seem overly concerned. 鈥淚t would be nice to feel more involved in that camaraderie, but you can鈥檛 force people to do what they don鈥檛 want to do.鈥� While communication with colleagues is a bonus, it鈥檚 not a necessity for him to be able to do his job. He does use a pager so his colleagues can warn him of any health and safety risks, but that鈥檚 about it.

And Eyers is all too aware of the safety risks he faces. 鈥淚鈥檓 definitely sidelined occasionally for work,鈥� he says. With his skillset, he feels he should be doing more. 鈥淭he M25, for example, I鈥檓 not allowed to do work on that as they think it鈥檚 too much of a health and safety risk.鈥� Is that frustrating? 鈥淥f course it is. I鈥檓 qualified. I tend to get the same response: 鈥業t鈥檚 not our fault, we just do what we get told鈥� and, yeah, it鈥檚 frustrating.鈥�

Although all it takes for FM Conway to accommodate Eyers on site is the pager 鈥� he doesn鈥檛 need an interpreter present to do his job 鈥� this point is lost on the majority of employers in construction, something which Eyers says needs to change if they are to tap into a resource that can be used to help with the skills gap.

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 a big problem for employers,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey avoid deafness and disability because they think it鈥檚 an additional cost, and that interpreters are expensive. Actually, they鈥檙e not when you work it out and Access to Work covers those costs anyway.鈥�

Eyers can鈥檛 speak highly enough of Access to Work. It has transformed his life. 鈥淲ithout it I wouldn鈥檛 be able to get a job 鈥� I鈥檇 be at home on benefits.鈥� It鈥檚 a scheme which most employers are not aware of, but one which covers virtually all of the costs of taking on a person with disabilities.

Success story

The Sayce review (an independent review of specialist disability employment programmes) in 2011 emphasised the effectiveness of the initiative, but found there was little awareness of the programme, particularly among smaller employers. That鈥檚 echoed by a work and pensions select committee report from December 2014, which said there are up to 144,000 unemployed people with disabilities who could benefit from Access to Work.

Of course it would have been easier for Eyers to find employment if he hadn鈥檛 gone for what he calls a 鈥渕ainstream job鈥�. Most of the deaf people he knows who are employed have jobs in deaf organisations, where communication is easy.

But Eyers always wanted to be an electrician. His father runs his own electrical business. Has it been worth it? 鈥淥h definitely. Now it鈥檚 done, it鈥檚 done. It was that initial period of everything being up in the air [in trying to get a job], but now it鈥檚 settled down, everything鈥檚 fine.鈥�

It鈥檚 a great success story, a person with a disability who has overcome all obstacles 鈥� and there have been many 鈥� in his way to get on the path to his career as an electrician. He鈥檚 a great example to other employers in construction, particularly contractors, that hiring people who are deaf or have other disabilities is not a burden 鈥� financially or otherwise.

But what advice would he give to other deaf people, perhaps fed up with the job hunting, when they get to the interview stage and employers realise they鈥檙e deaf, looking to start a career in the industry? 鈥淒on鈥檛 give up, just keep persevering. If you don鈥檛 get a response to an email, send another email. Always ask for feedback. You need to get in people鈥檚 faces a little bit to ensure they take notice of you,鈥� he says. Most importantly, he says leave deafness off the CV. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need to say you鈥檙e deaf on your CV, your skills will speak for themselves. It鈥檚 not intentional discrimination but I think if you put deaf on your CV they will prioritise that over your skills.鈥�

So where next? 鈥淚鈥檝e got a five-year plan where I鈥檇 like to get as much as I can from this role and then see what鈥檚 out there. If my dream job landed in my lap, of course I would take it. But I鈥檒l give this job a couple more years, get what I can out of it and then we鈥檒l see.鈥�

Spoken like a man who wants to go places. A bit like any ambitious 21-year-old, then.