IBM Australia rolls out neurodiversity program, employing autistic people in IT, by Liam Petterson

Original article by Liam Petterson, published April 1st 2019 in ABC News:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-02/ibm-to-hire-australian-employees-with-autism/10962852

Tech giant IBM’s Australia division plans on hiring 10 employees on the autism spectrum. This continues the growth of neurodiversity programs in the IT field. This program is the first for IBM Australia following the success of a similar initiative at IBM USA in 2017. There are also ongoing plans to roll out similar programs in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and, Japan. Specialisterne, an international not-for-profit specializing in connecting ASD and neurodiverse candidates with employers will be running the training program for IBM.

Unemployment is markedly higher for those with ASD, IBM Australia hopes to help change this with their new neurodiversity program

People on the autism spectrum bring a host of unique skills to their working lives including high attention to detail and unique problem-solving strategies. However, unemployment for ASD individuals in Australia hovers around 31%. This is some 6 times higher than unemployment rates for individuals with other disabilities.