Local teenagers organise conference on Autism and employment
A group of local sixth-form students have organised a conference about getting young adults with Autism into employment as part of a scheme which lets young people set up, organise and run a real company.
The sixth-form students of Hymers College have set up a company, Conference Connect, as part of the young enterprise scheme and have organised the ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and Employment conference to take place at the Octagon Centre in Hull on the 7th April. The conference will address the issues faced by people diagnosed with autism when seeking employment.
“The young enterprise scheme has given us a great opportunity to set up a business but with a social ethos. Not only do we get to develop our creativity, entrepreneurship and business skills, but we have the chance to reach out into the community by addressing this very real issue,” said Conference Connect co-managing director Michael Pearson.
“By taking part in young enterprise, all eleven members of the team have had this rare opportunity to create a company that’s moulded to their ideas with relatively little risk. The administrative, financial and legal boundaries that would normally keep us from ever creating a company have been lifted and it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn.”
The conference is aimed at teachers, parents and carers of those with ASD and anyone else who has an interest in attending. Furthermore, the students have been working in partnership with the National Autistic Society and leader of Hull City Council, Cllr. Carl Minns, will be opening the event.
“We’ll be addressing key questions such as how to improve access to the workplace and how to deliver a transition from education to employment,” said co-managing director Jack Falkingham who attends Hymers College, Hull.
The group of eleven 16-17 year olds started the company last year as part of the young enterprise scheme where young adults have the opportunity to create a company. In recent years, two teams from Hull have won the national finals and Conference Connect are looking to follow in their footsteps. However, co-MD Jack Falkingham says that their venture is unique.
“Typically, when young enterprise companies think of a product, they tend to think of a tangible good. However, we saw the added potential in a service and the wider social benefits it can provide.”
“This is a unique opportunity for parents, teachers and carers of people diagnosed. However we also see this as a fantastic opportunity for the business sector to improve their approach to this topic.”
Young enterprise is a country-wide charity which has more than 5,500 schools and 350,000 young people involved.
