Helen Cooke is a leading expert in disability employment with a particular expertise in student recruitment. Her vision is to ensure that having a disability or long-term health condition doesn’t prevent anyone from having the career that they want to have.

In 2006 Helen founded MyPlus, a consulting business focused on helping organisations realise the potential and possibilities of hiring and investing in disabled individuals. She then launched the MyPlus Recruiters’ Club offering specialist training and interactive disability focused events for employers. MyPlus is a Valuable 500 Directory member and a government Disability Confident Leader.

Wishing to motivate and raise aspirations of young disabled individuals Helen launched www.myplusstudentsclub.com, providing them with the support, advice and confidence to find work opportunities, and connect them with employers via the website and through industry focused careers events. The website won ‘Best Innovation in Online Recruitment’ at the 2021 National Online Recruitment Awards.

MyPlus also works with universities to provide them with expert resources to support their disabled students as they transition from education into employment.

Helen was a commissioner for the UK Centre for Social Justice’s Disability Commission in 2020 and is listed on Cranfield University’s School of Management Women to Watch for 2021.

Helen’s unique approach comes from her expertise in HR and graduate recruitment, having previously worked for Marks & Spencer and Mars, combined with her first-hand experience of living with a disability; Helen is a wheelchair user as a result of a childhood spinal injury.

Beyond MyPlus, Helen works extensively with disabled individuals through the Back Up Trust, an organisation which supports people with spinal cord injuries where she is a trustee and runs their popular Back Up to Work courses.