Additional Learning Needs is a term that encompasses a wide variety of situations. If you have an additional learning need, it means that there is an identified learning or physical need that may result in you experiencing a disadvantage compared to your peers. As a result, you may work and learn differently and therefore may need more or different support than other apprentices. This does not mean that you must have a diagnosis of any kind, but rather, that you have demonstrated challenges with learning in your current context and need additional support. This article will guide you through the kinds of additional needs, options for Additional Needs Support and the process for receiving it.

The purpose of additional needs support is to remove or mitigate the barrier that you may be experiencing to create a level playing field, allowing you to access a full opportunity to thrive. Multiverse has a duty to provide support to any apprentices with additional learning needs - and this may be provided by the coach or in collaboration with the Apprentice Support Team.

Categories of Need

Additional Learning Needs at Multiverse can generally be broken down into two key categories: Learning Needs and Physical Needs.

Learning Needs

Needs that result in an apprentice experiencing a greater difficulty in learning than other apprentices.

For example:

Physical Needs

Needs that impact an apprentice's ability to make use of the facility or resources provided by the employer.

For example:

If you recognize your own needs as falling under one or more of these categories, then you may qualify to receive Additional Learning Needs support from your coach or our Apprentice Support Team. If you have been experiencing challenges at work or on program related to the above needs, advocating for yourself will be the first step to identifying what resources are available to support you.

Step 1

Talk to your coach. Reach our via Slack, email, or however else you most frequently communicate to set up a 1 on 1 meeting, or simply add this as an agenda item to your next meeting with your coach. Be sure to discuss the following: if you have a history of Additional Learning Needs challenges, the specifics of how these challenges have played out in different contexts (school, work, etc), what sorts of supports or accommodations have been effective/ineffective in the past, and any ideas for what you might need from our team to support you. If you aren’t sure, that’s okay, too!

Step 2

After speaking with your coach, your coach will 1) implement any action steps or appropriate accommodations that you have discussed or requested, 2) discuss any next steps with you. This could look like supporting you to reach out to your manager or your HR team at your place of employment to document your needs and put in place any reasonable workplace accommodations, as well. This could also look like putting you in touch with our Apprentice Support team for resources or a consultation. They will also likely direct you to our Support Space to access a wide variety of self-serve resources, discussion boards, and more as an additional asset to you.

Step 3

Follow up! Additional Needs support is an iterative process - neither you nor your coaches or manager are expected to have everything perfect on the first try when it comes to adjustments, supports, or accommodations. Each 1 to 1 meeting is a place to check in and see what shifts can be made to better meet your needs.

Head to the Support Space on the Community hub for more details on how to get support at Multiverse.