News

Employment for people with autism

30th March 2021

By David Anthony, Head of Research and Learning

Sustained employment has never been more important. The most recent data from the Office of National Statistics, shows that only 22% of people with an autism diagnosis are employed in any form of work. This is a drop from the already concerning figure of 32%.

In response to this troubling figure, BeyondAutism launched its own 1-year internship. Embedding our strategic objective of increasing employability, the programme focuses on providing opportunities for those with autism or associated difficulties. The internship focuses on offering a safe space to experience different departments within our organisation, as well as work towards finding and securing long-term employment once the programme ends.

Along with learning in our departments, interns have worked on their own projects, contributing to the charity’s objectives. This year, our interns have released their own podcast series, focusing on autism and employment.

Building on the current successes of our internship, we are expanding the programme to 6 interns from September. The expansion will enable us to offer specialist advice and guidance to our interns. It will also allow us to facilitate the building of work and specialist skills, while being supported by job coaches and mentors.

Job coaches and understanding reasonable adjustments are crucial in supporting those with additional needs to access the workplace. The more companies begin to see the benefits of engaging in this type of support, the more we can change the prospects for those with autism. Find out more about what reasonable adjustments can look like.