After learning that 85 per cent of adults with autism are either unemployed or under-employed, a group of students at Portlaoise College have been working to ignite change.
The Young Social Innovators at the school comprises mainly Transition Year students, with the exception of one student who is in second year.
Alex Toman, Robyn Neylon-Phillips, Cillian Harkin, Shauna McPartland, Sophie Robertson and Kyla Walsh make up the group.
Four out of the six participants are in the autism class in Portlaoise College so the BridgeAbility project is very close to their hearts, according to teacher, Sarah Rowan.
The group has already presented its project to Tirlán at its headquarters in Kilkenny.
The students spoke with HR and recruitment staff about what people with autism have to offer in the workplace.
The team also did a walk around the offices to see if there were any recommendations they could come up with to make it more inclusive.
“It has been a great opportunity, getting to sit in boardrooms of multinational companies,” Portlaoise College student, Cillian Harkin, told LaoisToday.
People with autism, the students said, are known for their attention to detail, creativity, ability to think outside the box and their loyalty and honesty.
The simple accommodations that can be made in the workplace to make it more neurodiverse include: movement breaks, lighting, remote working, and a buddy system, the Young Social Innovators highlighted.
“I feel strongly about everyone being included in the workplace, so spreading awareness is really important to me,” said student, Alex Toman.
BridgeAbility is lined up to present to Mr Price at the end of this month. The students will meet store managers from across the country at a Mr Price company event in Portlaoise.
Mr Price has also committed to providing tailormade work experience for neurodiverse students in Portlaoise College.
The team will also meet HR representatives at headquarters of Primark, Dublin in early April.
Laois Chamber of Commerce is sharing the project with all businesses in Laois in a mailout in a bid to bring about more partnerships with the students.
“I was really happy to see that businesses want to talk about being more inclusive,” said student, Robyn Neylon Phipps.
“The group feel very passionately about autism awareness, particularly in the workplace.
“The team has recorded a podcast with Adam Harris from the autism charity AsIAm, which has been released on Spotify,” said Sarah Rowan.
“The whole experience has been really fun, especially recording the podcast,” said student Shauna McPartland said.
“The community has been very supportive,” teacher, Sarah Rowan, said.
“It is really encouraging for our students to feel heard by major multinational companies. It is also really positive to see that the landscape is changing and that from our experience the workplace is becoming a more inclusive space.”
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