SUSTAINABILITY & ESG
In the last decade awareness surrounding neurodiversity in the workplace has grown across all industries , including manufacturing . In 2013 SAP launched its Autism at Work Program , which provides onboarding and job coaching to neurodiverse employees with the expressed goal of having them represent 1 % of its global workforce . In 2016 , automotive leader Ford launches the FordWorks program , the first automotive disability pilot ever , where the company collaborates with organisations like the Autism Alliance of Michigan to identify roles that align with neurodiverse skills .
Today , Siemens is well known for its neurodiversity inclusion policies and targeted hiring practices , reporting increased innovation in engineering and IT teams .
Where did these initiatives come from ? Well , in many ways they speak to the era . The 2010s was very much defined by accelerated diversity awareness and change .
But also they ’ ve grown out of the work of consultancies like Perfectly Autistic , which has helped global manufacturers like GSK , Britvic and PepsiCo enhance their approach to workforce neurodiversity .
Perfectly Autistic was founded by husband and wife duo Kelly and Hester after they were diagnosed as neurodivergent in their late forties .
This was shortly after their two children were diagnosed with ADHD and autism .
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