On 9 October 2024, the side event on ‘Labour market integration of autistic people – opportunities and challenges’ took place as part of the European Week ‘Regions and Cities’. The event was hosted by the TALENTED project, which was represented by our coordinators from Pro Arbeit – Kreis Offenbach (AöR). The event provided a valuable platform to discuss the challenges and opportunities that autistic people face on their way into the labour market.
Insights into reality: expertise and experience
A particular highlight of the event was the panel discussion, which highlighted different perspectives on the topic.
Jonas Grötel, an autistic computer science student, spoke about his personal experiences and emphasised the importance of an open dialogue about autism. A mutual learning process in which both autistic and non-autistic people can learn and benefit from each other is particularly important to him. It is about understanding each other and creating acceptance.
Volker Müller, who works in disability services in the city and district of Offenbach, supports people with Asperger’s syndrome in mastering their everyday lives and achieving their personal and professional goals. He emphasised the need for bridges to be built between autistic and non-autistic people. Knowledge and education are crucial for him in order to promote understanding and respectfully recognise the differences.
Daniela Fuchs, business psychologist at Auticon, a company specialising in the integration of people with autism, shared her valuable insights. She emphasised how companies can benefit from the strengths of autistic employees. As a job coach, she supports companies in creating an inclusive working environment and taking into account the individual needs of their autistic employees.
Susanne Heinz, psychologist and therapist at the Autism Therapy Institute Frankfurt/Offenbach, provided insights into supporting young people with autism. She emphasised the need for greater awareness in society in order to better understand the challenges faced by autistic people. In addition, everyone would benefit from the diversity of different people, opinions and perspectives.
Amira Bieber, Head of the EPM department at Pro Arbeit, emphasised the importance of using expertise where it is available. ‘Everyone – whether autistic or not – has unique strengths that others don’t have,’ she emphasised. Hiring people is always challenging, but diversity should be the new normal. With this in mind, it is crucial to discover the right talents and encourage different perspectives.
Key topics of the discussion
A central theme of the discussion was the need to create suitable framework conditions that enable autistic people to optimally develop their talents and abilities in the working environment. Through clarity, security, structure, as well as the provision of contact persons, acceptance and respect, structures can be created that promote successful cooperation between all those involved. The discussion clearly showed that autistic people have enormous potential that often remains unutilised in the working environment because structures and processes are not sufficiently tailored to them.
Another important aspect was communication: it is crucial to actively involve people with autism and take their needs seriously. Instead of talking about autistic people, they should be integrated into the dialogue. Through an open exchange, solutions can be found that are beneficial for everyone involved and promote harmonious coexistence.
Conclusion
The event was a great success and stimulated many valuable discussions. It became clear that autistic people have great potential for the labour market and that companies can benefit greatly from this. At the same time, however, it became clear that further measures are needed to fully utilise these opportunities. The TALENTED project aims to help create inclusive structures and promote the individual strengths of people with autism through targeted support for employers.
Let’s work together to create a future in which every person – regardless of their individual challenges – has the chance to realise their full potential. Get in touch with us!