Annual autism job fair aims to help seekers, employers connect

More than a thousand people have registered in the 8th virtual exhibition for people with autism. One of the organizers of the event is happy with the high response, but ultimately likes that there is no need to hold this exhibition.
Neil Forster, co-founder of this exhibition, says that their ultimate goal is to help create careers for autistic people. Spectrum Works virtual exhibition has served as a link between employers with various questions and autistic people seeking work. Forster says the fair has helped hundreds of people across Canada find jobs and fill the workforce in Ontario. However, he would like to attract more employers.

"We think about helping people build careers," he says. However, I have to say that I hope that the day will come when this event will no longer be necessary. This is our ultimate goal."

According to the latest 2017 Canadian survey for which autism-specific data is available, at least one per cent of Canadians aged 15 and over have an autism disorder, and only 33 per cent of them report being employed.

Nadia Badri, 35, landed her first full-time job at a virtual fair for people with autism in 2021.

The Toronto resident has been promoted to CIBC after another three years as a curator. He owes his success to the support of his coaches, family and friends who help him participate in the exhibition and get the job he needs. He hopes that autistic job seekers will also benefit from the same opportunity.

"A job fair is always helpful, but it's even better when they're there to support you," Badri says. "I am grateful every day for having this job."

Forster, co-owner of Substance Cares, the Toronto-based charitable foundation that organizes the job fair, says that before the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was held in person.

But he says the shift to a virtual format has actually helped attract employers from other cities like Toronto and Vancouver, give autistic people in large rural areas a chance to participate, and prevent more attendees from in-person events from moving.

Forster: "We have a community of almost half a million people in Canada that, given the opportunity, the right education, the right skills and the right education, a lot of those people can help some people."

"After all, if we can't use someone, we can experience less and hope."

The fair provides mentoring opportunities, the employer says

This year, from 4 employers and usually 1,500 guests have registered to participate and learn more about jobs in government departments, information technology or programming, writing and banks. Many of the intros are in addition to mid- or management-level roles, Forster said.

EY Canada is one of the employers participating in Monday's expo and has been for several years.

They were recruited directly from the fair and many more through referrals from attendees, says Tammys, leader of access and neuro-inclusion at EY Canada. It is the role or development of work programs that are compatible with the differences involving the components of the brain of people.

He said that company-wide, they've retained 95 percent of all people they've hired through neuro-inclusion initiatives.

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