Organizations collaborate to promote inclusive hiring

When it comes to finding meaningful jobs for neurodivergent youth over the age of 21, Ashley Budd, director of Adult Education and Employment Services at Giant Steps, and Hugues-Olivier Champagne, provincial coordinator of Ready, Willing and Able (RWA) combine the efforts, experience and expertise of their organizations to ensure employment opportunities are provided.

Giant Steps is a school and resource centre focused exclusively on autism, with an adult education and employment services pillar working to advance education and employment opportunities for young autistic adults. For the last six years, it has housed the Quebec chapter of RWA, a federally funded organization that seeks to connect employers and autistic individuals or individuals with an intellectual disability looking for employment. The program provides training to employers and supports for employees, for example in the form of job coaching.

In partnership with the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) and Giant Steps’ adult education program, autistic adults can learn skills to help them gain greater independence, community inclusion and meaningful employment. Students are provided with training, visual job aids and coaching.

“Sometimes companies are reticent and have misconceptions about hiring a neurodivergent adult,” said Champagne. “Employers and employees must be educated to understand that productivity can actually increase by hiring a neurodivergent individual and that the end result is often very positive. One of the key ingredients is to ensure the job is a good match between the employee and the employer.”

Budd works in tandem with the EMSB and advises them to contact RWA for employment openings. She said that “Summer employment is available to Giant Steps students. For example, this summer, some of the students were employed to complete janitorial services at the EMSB.” Other partnerships take place with companies such as Provigo, St-Hubert, Fairmont and Costco, which are open to hiring neurodivergent youth and have been pleased with positive results, according to Champagne.

Champagne claims that over 5,000 employment opportunities have been filled through RWA since 2014 in Canada; with around 1,000 individuals hired in Quebec by 500 employers.

According to Giant Steps, over 75 percent of employers in Canada rate autistic workers or those with intellectual disabilities as well as or better than average on productivity. The organization has also found that individuals who comprise this talent pool are loyal, stable, dependable and competent employees.

Lori Leonard is a freelance writer also for Main Street newspaper, is owner of Lori’s Links and a community resource person who resides in Ste. Anne des Lacs in the Laurentians.