Only 32% of adults with autism are in any kind of paid work, with only 16% in full-time paid employment – a statistic that hasn’t changed since 2007.¹ Furthermore, the national statistic for people with disabilities in employment are only making minor improvements, with just over 53% in employment compared with those considered not disabled.² Never has it been more important for us to focus on these outcomes, as we currently face a national and international uncertainty in the shadow of the pandemic.

In 2020, City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, made a grant of £178,400 to BeyondAutism spread over five years to develop strategies, partnerships, a toolkit, and an employment pathway through our services and beyond into adulthood.

Our employment project includes:

• working with the senior teams to develop the strategy for employability
• developing a toolkit of resources, to be used within our services and beyond
• developing vocational assessments, person-centred plans, and referral systems for our students to enter employment and related activities
• building on our current portfolio of work placements to ensure a broad and representative range of vocational opportunities
• working in partnership with the wider Research and learning team to develop training resources for employers
• becoming a wider influence on the perceptions of people with autism and work; changing attitudes with employers, families, and learners about what outcomes and aspirations can look like.

Emily, our Specialist Vocational Advisor joined the charity in May 2020 to lead on this project. If you would like to get in touch about the programme, email Emily here.