Autism Employment Network
A network for organisations supporting autistic people into employment
Just 30% of autistic people are in employment. Based on this shocking statistic and feedback that this is a priority for many autistic people, we have made tackling the high unemployment rate among autistic people one of our missions. We aim to help 10,000 autistic people into employment over the next 10 years.
The Autism Employment Network is the first step in our mission.
Who can join the Autism Employment Network?
The Autism Employment Network is open to any UK-based organisation that supports autistic people into employment – from providing paid employment to volunteer opportunities, work experience placements or vocational training. Read the Network Criteria to find out if your organisation is eligible to join.
Please note: Individuals seeking employment or families seeking employment on behalf of individuals are not eligible to join the network. We do not offer individual advice to jobseekers.
Our Autism Employment Network helps small, local organisations that support autistic people to:
- build relationships and work together
- share knowledge, experience and skills
- access resources
- find support in areas such as fundraising, communications, marketing and developing a digital presence
- connect with influencers and partners
Why is the Autism Employment Network needed?
Our analysis has identified that there are lots of projects already working to support autistic people into employment – but these often focus on graduates, offering internships and jobs in certain industries.
This leaves many groups under-supported, such as people with additional disabilities, fewer formal qualifications, complex care needs, or those from marginalised groups. These groups can bring valuable skills to the workplace and many desperately want employment opportunities, which we know are vital to ensure wellbeing.
We want all autistic people to be able to find employment or meaningful daily activities that are right for them.
There are countless small, local organisations across the UK that offer help to these under-supported groups. These organisations – from cafes and restaurants to shops and farms – are doing incredible work, changing people’s lives.
Working with and learning from these organisations, we’ve created a network to help them thrive, grow and overcome their challenges – so they can offer more opportunities to autistic people and encourage other businesses to follow their lead.
We believe that together we can make a real difference.
What does the Autism Employment Network do?
Since 2024, we’ve been recruiting organisations, hearing about the valuable work they do and how they do it, and bringing them together.
We have a regular online coffee morning and have hosted a range of webinars to support network members, including:
- Helping Employers Say Yes: creating opportunities for autistic people to transition into employment
- Finding and Securing Funding
- Spotlight event with HSBC
- Crowdfunding: “Raise from clueless to fully funded”
In January 2025, we hosted a focus group with a small group of organisations to discuss key employment challenges for autistic people with Lord Touhig, a member of the House of Lords with a particular interest in this area. This discussion, followed by a survey with our wider network, raised the following issues:
- Delays and barriers in Access to Work
- Employer uncertainty around reasonable adjustments
- Lack of support for career progression
Lord Touhig committed to raising these concerns in Parliament. We will continue to work with him and other influential figures to drive policy improvements that will increase the employment rate for autistic people.
Want to join the network? Email us today
Please remember to include the following details in your message:
- Organisation name
- Your name
- Where your organisation is based ( must be in the UK)
- How your organisation supports autistic people (with or without learning disabilities) into employment
