19 Dec Career opportunities for someone neurodivergent – A reason for optimism
In today’s economy, it is not unusual to find highly qualified workers struggling to find meaningful job opportunities; jobs and salary that are commensurate with their level of experience and education. For someone who is neurodivergent, the challenge is far greater.
Applying and competing for most any type of job is often difficult, let alone aspiring to do something more than a minimum wage type job. In fact, unemployment for neurodivergent adults runs at least as high as 30-40% which is eight times the rate for people without disabilities. These statistics can be quite discouraging for someone who truly wants to contribute to society through gainful employment and live a life as fulfilling as they choose.
We are delighted to share a recent video interview with two people from two companies who are trying to change all this. Not only are they focused on creating meaningful employment opportunities for the neurodivergent population, they are helping potential employers see ways in which a neurodiverse staff can actually make a company stronger and more competitive.
Along the way, it becomes a bit of a revelation that by including workers who might think differently and approach tasks and projects in a unique manner, new heights and successes can be achieved.
Meet Anthony Pacilio and Pamela Weiss
Anthony Pacilio is currently Vice President, Neurodiverse Solutions at CAI. Anthony shares how he came to realize his own neurodivergence while he was growing up. And to know he overcame these challenges and went on to build an amazing career, one that is helping others like him reach their full potential, is both fascinating and inspiring. Anthony shares how he and CAI are helping companies create and run their own neurodiversity programs.
Pamela Weiss too is an amazing neurodiversity advocate, who through her and her husband’s experience of raising their own special needs daughter, Ingrid, has carried that passion forward into her workplace as she and her employer work to create opportunities for neurodivergent individuals. Pam shares some inspiring stories of how they are hiring and developing neurodivergent staff to perform process type functions in the Legal industry.
There is cause for optimism for the future! We hope you enjoy the youtube podcast below: