Today, Orla Moran, General Manager of hiring platform IrishJobs.ie joined Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm, Ireland’s national autism charity, to launch the ‘Same Chance Commitment’, which calls on employers to take the first step to creating an autism-friendly workplace.
Research tells us that at least 1 in 65 people in Ireland are autistic with as many as 80 to 85% of that number either unemployed or underemployed. The ‘Same Chance Commitment’ aims to improve this figure by encouraging businesses to undertake a number of actions to help remove barriers for autistic people entering the workplace and to create more inclusive workspaces for Autistic people who are already in employment.
Same Chance Committment
Every employer who signs up to the ‘Same Chance Commitment’ pledges to:
- Develop more inclusive recruitment processes, which in turn creates more opportunities for Autistic people to access work experience, internships and longer-term job opportunities.
- Embed autism-friendly practices in how an organisation operates.
- Provide training for Autistic people to help them pursue jobs and develop their career within an organisation.
- Fully utilise the wide range of supports available, including the Same Chance toolkit, which was designed by AsIAm and IrishJobs to help organisations become autism-friendly employers by equipping themselves with the information they need to help attract, hire, and retain autistic talent.
- Participate in the AsIAm and IrishJobs Community of Practice to promote and develop autism-friendly employment in Ireland.
Creating inclusive workplaces
Commenting on today’s announcement, Orla Moran, General Manager, IrishJobs said: “We are delighted to launch the ‘Same Chance Commitment’ in partnership with AsIAm today. This is a really important initiative for us as a company, and we hope that by working together with the team at AsIAm, we can make a positive impact on the number of autistic people employed across Ireland.”
“At IrishJobs, we are already supporting employers to achieve this with our Same Chance toolkit, which offers a step-by-step guide to becoming an autism-friendly employer. With today’s announcement, we hope to make the journey for employers that bit easier by creating a dedicated pathway by which they can embrace diversity in its truest sense and create more inclusive working environments for Autistic people in Ireland.”
Adam Harris, CEO at AsIAm, said: “The launch of the ‘Same Chance Commitment’ with IrishJobs today is another important milestone for us as an organisation. The consequences of exclusion for Autistic people can be devastating – leading to social isolation, poor mental health, poverty and a higher mortality rate.”
“Small accommodations by employers can remove barriers for Autistic people at work, but they can also unlock skills and abilities which helps businesses gain the competitive edge and think outside the box. The pandemic has shown us that it is possible to work differently and so presents unprecedented opportunities to create inclusive workplaces.”
“With a number of commitments that range from making their recruitment processes more inclusive to creating new opportunities for Autistic people to access work experience, internships and jobs and embedding autism-friendly practices, this ‘Same Chance Commitment’ is a critical step on the road to creating a more truly inclusive Irish economy and society.”