This Former CTO Leaves Position To Help Autistic People
Autistic people seem to be the lowest caste in the world of work. Most companies refuse to hire people with autism just because of their physical condition.
According to Harkin Institute research, 80 percent of people with autism in the world are unemployed. This makes a former CTO at a well-known company named Harkin choose to resign from his job and choose to help autistic people to get a better life through work.
Harkin started this job 15 years ago. He understands that autistic people who have entered their productive age have the mind to work like normal humans in general. Unfortunately, they always collide with the company’s view of the physical condition of the autistic people.
Tom Harkin eventually built a company called the Harkin Institute to show that autistic people can be relied on in the world of work.
“They’re not really stupid and they’re not lazy either. It’s just that it’s direct that makes them look like this.”
He provided free on-the-job training before being included in a company that had collaborated with the Harkin Institute. Well-known companies that have worked with him are IBM, Microsoft, SAP, EY, PwC, JP Morgan Chase, and PMX. His company already employs more than 10,000 people with autism.
His Son Also Has Autism Makes Him Want To Help Autistic People
The beginning of this company comes from the story of his son who suffers from autism. Her son has had autism since he was 3 years old. He really feels the difficulty of autistic people in the world of work. Then he created a program called “Specialisterne” which aims to improve the recruitment system at the company so that autistic people get the same place as normal humans.
The program was so successful that it continued to grow into the Specialisterne Foundation which is a non-profit organization. Finally the Specialistne Foundation changed to the Harkin Institute.
Hopefully, the Harkin Institute can continue to grow and make many autistic people find jobs.
