Inclusivity beyond Formative Education and in the Workplace

The situation for autistic jobseekers has long been difficult. Research shows that less than 10% of autistic people in Europe are in work, compared with 72% of people with no learning difficulties. Studies show a direct correlation between employment, access to vocational training programmes, and emotional / psychological well-being; while the UK’s Mental Health Foundation shows that seven out of ten autistic people have a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression. With this project, we would be addressing the social, ethical, health, and economic costs of unemployment within the autistic community, opening a vital pathway to independence, dignity & inclusion. Many autistic individuals face systemic barriers, from inaccessible hiring processes to workplace misunderstandings, and the ASP project was specifically designed to overcome these, creating pathways to inclusive hiring practices, providing tailored support for employers, VET schools & autistic jobseekers alike, and taking into account all stakeholders’ needs to develop routes to fulfilling employment that suit everyone. Committed to social cohesion, this project was designed to ensure autistic individuals can access meaningful careers suited to their strengths.

By supporting autistic jobseekers into fulfilling work, we aimed to create a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable workforce where neurodivergent individuals can thrive. But the project has not merely supported autistic jobseekers, it was also aimed at employers and VET schools to provide the information and assistance they so badly need. Our goal has been to help all parties by advising on supportive recruitment practices, tailored workplace adjustments, and a holistic approach to supporting jobseekers and employers alike. Specifically, we wished to upskill autistic citizens across the EU, empowering them with the necessary skills to find and maintain employment, provide vocational and educational training centres and institutions with the necessary know-how to make their teaching more inclusive for autistic learners, provide employers with the necessary knowledge to build a fairer and more inclusive workplace, and provide a digital pathway that empowers those involved in the employment sector to provide a more appropriate interview setting, work environment and overall working conditions for autistic workers. We are confident that this report will detail how we achieved each of our specified aims.