Positives of a Diverse Workforce

The barriers that individuals with ASC experience in accessing employment are well known. However, there is increasingly a shift that identifies the positive impact that a diverse workforce brings to the workplace.  

2017 research by the Harvard Business Review found that irrespective of other types of diversity, teams that had the diversity of both knowledge processes and perspective always outperformed teams with less neurodiversity.

If you’ve met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. However, besides personal traits and individual strengths, it’s very common for individuals with autism to exude:

Many people with ASC are in work and many more want to work, but despite the many positives that autistic people offer to the workplace, research tells us that only 32% are in paid employment whilst 77% want to work. Yet support for ASC individuals in employment does exist but many people just don’t know about it.

The Government’s Access to Work Scheme is a much-underused resource for those in employment that enables them to have access to funding that supports the implementation of reasonable adjustments.

At I AM we can help with employment in a number of ways. Our Key Workers can support individuals on a one-to-one basis with developing employability skills such as interview techniques. Antony, one of I AM’s Key Workers, works with the Cooperative College that also supports individuals with developing these skills.

I AM can also support employers with training and we can carry out Workplace Needs Assessments. To find out more about the support that is available check out our Blog Posts on the subject here and here

To find out about how I AM can offer support contact us at admin@i-am autism.org.uk or give us a call on 0161 866 8483
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