Autistic people face the lowest employment rate of all disabled groups. But many autistic people want to work and can bring different ways of thinking that companies need. We have a plan to double the number of autistic people in work by 2030.
We will work with researchers, corporate partners, and the government to develop evidence-based solutions. These solutions will empower autistic people to develop the skills they need and empower employers to build neurodiverse and inclusive workforces.
Companies have to stop the culture of trimming away irregularities.
Lara - autistic adult
The need
Just 3 in 10 autistic people have a job. Autistic people are also more likely to be in roles below their skill level or in unstable employment. Being unemployed excludes people from society. It limits their ability to support themselves and impacts their mental health.
Autistic people can have unique problem-solving skills, attention to detail and creative ways of thinking. Because of a lack of understanding, and inaccessible recruitment practices, employers and autistic jobseekers are missing out.
About our plan
We have developed a detailed plan to double the number of autistic people in work. It has two main parts:
Empowering autistic people
Every autistic person will need different types of support to develop work-ready skills. We'll develop:
Employment readiness programme to be rolled out in schools.
Career support profiles to help autistic people understand their strengths and needs so that they can ask for personalised support
Specialist support for neurodivergent people who require specialist coaching. We will work with the government to evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches.
Career progression research and resources to understand how to support autistic people to advance in their careers.
Empowering employers
Employers must think about every stage of recruiting and retaining autistic staff to create a diverse workforce. We will educate them with the following:
Neurodiversity Employers Index to measure how effectively an employer is accommodating neurodivergent people.
Recruitment practices that will enable employers to identify the most talented autistic candidates and broaden the diversity of their workforce.
Supported employment programmes that aim to get autistic people into work.
Workplace adjustments based on our research will help companies make small changes to their working culture and environment that make a big difference to autistic employees.
How our plan can change lives
With support from funders and corporate champions, our activities will create a network of employers who know how to attract and support neurodivergent talent. We'll empower neurodivergent job seekers and employees with the knowledge and skills they need when applying for jobs and progressing in their careers.
We'll change the culture of work and the life chances of thousands of autistic people across the UK.