Autism@Work Summit showcases the Neurodiversity Advantage

The Autism@Work Summit, presented by Autism CRC, DXC Technology and ANZ, was held in October 2018, proudly supported by sponsors Symantec, SAP and Peoplebank. 

With more than 100 participants, the Autism@Work Summit was a great opportunity for attendees to hear from the growing number of organisations investing in a more neurodiverse workforce about the resulting benefits of better engaging the skills and interests of all employees, not just those on the autism spectrum.

The Summit program included keynote presentations from Paulette Penzvalto, autism advocate and Google employee from Silicon Valley; Jeanette Purkis, autism employment advocate, writer and speaker; and Matt Ormiston, autism advocate, technologist and adventurer.  

The day also included presentations and workshops from a number of employers and industry speakers, including representatives from Autism CRC, ANZ, DXC Technology, Federal Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Department of Home Affairs, SAP, Peoplebank, Curtin University and La Trobe University. Videos of all presentations will be made available in the near future. 

After the Summit, an afternoon Autism@Work Employment Fair was held to discuss employment opportunities with autistic job seekers and their families. Many autistic job seekers and their family and friends attended the employment fair with 10 organisations providing information on the day.
The interest shown by attendees clearly demonstrates the need for the continued development of employment programs that provide opportunity for, and realise the benefits of, neurodiversity in the workplace.

Autism CRC is committed to providing practical outputs that support autistic people to discover and use their strengths and interests, and to working with employers to better engage this significantly untapped talent pool within our diverse society.