autism and agriculture autism stories from across the spectrum
People with autism often struggle to find employment , however a new initiative of SunPork Farms and the Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism ( Autism CRC ) is delivering results .
Autism and Agriculture aims to employ and develop career paths for adults on the spectrum in specialist animal care roles .
Under this world-first innovative employment scheme , seven autistic adults have been employed in Queensland and training is underway in a South Australian piggery for the second cohort of candidates .
Individuals on the spectrum have a very high rate of unemployment or underemployment with a labour force participation rate at 34 % compared with 54 % participation rate for people with disabilities .
The chief executive and managing director of SunPork Group , Dr Robert van Barneveld , said individuals with autism often have the skills to do the job extremely well , but social and communication difficulties can create barriers to long-term employment .
“ We know adults on the spectrum have key strengths that are of significant benefit to the workplace ,” he said . “ SunPork Farms is harnessing the diverse skills some autistic individuals have in animal care to provide sustainable employment in the agricultural industry and ultimately enhance the welfare of our livestock .”
The program team has adapted and applied existing Specialisterne techniques used in the IT sector , to support candidates through the recruitment , employment and evaluation process in the agriculture sector . All new autistic employees are paid a full , unsubsidised wage by SunPork Farms for the jobs they perform .
“ With appropriate support and training , for both the autistic candidates and SunPork Farms employees , we believe the pilot program will deliver long-term benefits to our business ,” Dr van Barneveld said .
“ Employing adults with autism will bring a range of different views and the capacity to innovate our business to ensure we remain a world leader in pork and food production .”
Project Leader for Autism and Agriculture Dr Kirsty Richards said that the project has shifted the paradigm for employee recruitment and selection .
“ We ’ re providing people with opportunities to show us , rather than tell us , their abilities to care for our livestock , develop new skills and work safely ,” Dr Richards said .
“ To see our new employees gain confidence and earn satisfaction from their work is extremely rewarding for the entire SunPork Farms team . Watching them transform as individuals , form their first friendships and become part of our team has been life-changing . The success of this program also challenges business more widely to relook at traditional recruitment , training and support frameworks to better accommodate a diverse workforce .”
Visit autismcrc . com . au to learn more about research progress .
linkonline . com . au autism feature
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