Microsoft reveals plans to give people with autism full-time positions

[steve2470]

http://www.winbeta.org/news/microsoft-reveals-plans-give-people-autism-full-time-positions

In a rather touching blog post on one of Microsoft’s official blogs, Microsoft on the Issues, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Operations, Mary Ellen Smith reflects on a recent presentation she made at the United Nations in honor of World Autism Awareness Day and Microsoft’s new pilot program with Specialisterne which aims to help people with autism find employment at Microsoft.

The blog post mentions Microsoft’s other efforts with employing autistic people such as their previous work with Supported Employment and vendor partners to hire people with autism for roles in event services, transportation, and food services. This latest program appears to be much more ambitious in scale and promises to give potential employees full-time positions at Microsoft and while mentioning that everyone is different, praises autistic individuals with an “amazing ability to retain information, think at a level of detail and depth or excel in math or code”.

Mary Ellen Smith, whose own son was diagnosed with autism at age 4, is passionate about helping those with autism and praises Microsoft’s efforts to create a diverse workforce that involves not just those with autism but those from other minority groups as well.

“This represents only one of the ways we are evolving our approach to increase the diversity of Microsoft’s workforce. We believe there is a lot of untapped potential in the marketplace and we are encouraged by the strong level of readiness from the vendors who cater to this segment.

more at link

Microsoft blog post: http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2015/04/03/microsoft-announces-pilot-program-to-hire-people-with-autism/

[valerief]

1. In China? What country? Certainly not U.S. Businesses stopped creating tech jobs in the U.S. nt

[SheilaT]

2. Umm, the OP says the jobs are to be in such areas as

event services, transportation, and food services. Nothing about tech jobs.

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. Businesses in general are beginning to see the benefit of hiring people with disabilities.

Technology businesses in particular are open to hiring people on the spectrum.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/22/177452578/young-adults-with-autism-can-thrive-in-high-tech-jobs

[valerief]

5. Ah, okay, so China. nt

[liberal_at_heart]

3. That is awesome! I will have to look into that. My son is 16, autistic, and trying to figure out

what he should be. I'm not sure programming is something he is interested in, but at least it is an option and I will definitely be talking to him about it.