Autism Forward Cio

Autism Forward is a registered charity which launched in 2018 to improve employment outcomes for autistic people by funding specialist mentoring support to help them find employment and working with employers to improve opportunities and inclusion. It has long been recognised that unemployment rate for autistic people is unacceptably high, but there is currently little support available to help them navigate the transition into the workplace and thrive once there. We are working to change this. We provide funding for autistic adults to enable them to access specialised mentoring services to give them the support they need to make the transition from education to work and find paid or voluntary employment. Mentoring also helps autistic adults deal with issues such as anxiety, relationships, housing and personal stability – help which is often not otherwise available and which is so important for inclusion in the community and workplace. We also seek to raise employer and public awareness of autistic talent and the important strengths and skills that autistic employees can bring to the workplace. We have created a network of employers, autistic employees and professionals who meet regularly to discuss and implement initiatives to improve opportunities and inclusion for autistic people. By sharing best practice, we can drive change forward more effectively and ensure that neurodiversity is included in the broader diversity agenda. Our employer network includes a wide range of employers including law firms, accountancy firms, management consultants, banks, investment banks, technology companies, telecoms companies, insurers, asset management firms, universities and other autism charities.