An autism job fair is being hosted in Richmond next week, featuring more than 17 of Canada’s top employers.
On Monday, April 8, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Pacific Autism Family Network, 3688 Cessna Drive, the Spectrum Works event will take place.
The fair is a national initiative that aims to fight the stigma attached to people living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their performance in the workplace.
It is a welcome initiative, due to the staggering unemployment rates for people with autism.
Now in its third year, the fair is being held in Richmond, Toronto and Montreal and will bring together recruiters and hiring managers from major companies including Apple, Rogers, Bell, RBC, Scotiabank, BMO, HSBC, Bell, Loblaws, General Motors and Shoppers Drug Mart.
Participants will have access to job skill workshops, resume and employment consulting, on-site job interviews and community service providers.
Since its first event in 2017, more than 450 participants with ASD have participated in the job fair, and in 2018, the event was hosted by then-Minister of Community and Social Services for Ontario, Michael Coteau.
“We want to shift the assumptions associated with people living with ASD and change the idea that they can’t contribute to the workforce,” says Xavier Pinto, the co-owner of Substance Cares, the Toronto-based charitable foundation that organizes the annual job fair.
“When given the opportunity, people with ASD can do a great job. This is why we’re taking a proactive approach and hosting a job fair to pair employers with employees.”
Pinto, whose nine-year-old son Xavi lives with autism, wants to see things changed by the time his son enters employment age.
“There’s no reason why Xavi can’t be a fully contributing member of society when he grows up,” says Pinto. “We just need to help organizations see that.”
According to Autism Speaks Canada (ASC), the co-sponsor of the event:
• National data indicates that 83% of Canadian adults with autism report no employment income. (Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012)
• The 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability found that autistic adults have the lowest employment rates in Canada at 14.3% as compared to the general population at 92.7%.
• The median annual employment income for individuals with autism was $2,900 (Lai, Dunn and Zwicker, 2017)
• A 2012 Ontario study found that 58% of autistic adults relied on public assistance for their primary source of income.
• Competitive employment, supported employment, volunteer work and purposeful daytime activity all provide structure and community integration which can enhance one’s quality of life.
• Employment can be a critical component for most adults to build full and productive lives.
Despite current employment levels, there are distinct advantages to hiring employees with ASD.
The Harvard Business Review found that employing individuals with ASD has led to productivity gains, quality improvement, boosts in innovative capabilities, and broad increases in employee engagement.
