This website (previously ASDinfoWales) belongs to and is run by the National Autism Team, which is funded by Welsh Government. It is one of the resources which helps the Team achieve their aim to improve the lives of autistic people in Wales.

Employment Symposium Webinar

On 4th December 2020, the National Autism Team facilitated a Free Employment Symposium Webinar in partnership with Swansea University, the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) (Cardiff University), and Learning Disability Wales (LDW). The symposium was funded by Welsh Government and supported by the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and Public Health Wales (PHW).

The symposium was recorded and is available to view below, broken into four parts. To view the full programme, a description of the workshops, and to meet your co-chairs, please scroll down to the bottom of this page.

The symposium was held for employers, supported employment providers, and key employment staff (e.g. DEAs), and sought to answer the following questions:

  • What support is available to employers who have autistic and/or learning disabled staff?
  • Have you considered the benefits of employing an autistic person and/or someone with a learning disability?
  • Are you a supported employment provider keen to know more about how Covid-19 has had an impact on autistic and/or learning disabled people?

Part 1 – Welcome, Context & What’s Available to Employers and Supported Employment Providers

Speakers include Ken Skates, MS, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Cllr Emlyn Dole, WLGA Employability and Skills Spokesperson, and many more!

Part 2  The Offer Across Wales

 

Speakers include Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), Careers Wales, Engage to Change, and Workways+

 

Part 3 – How to Optimise the Offer in Wales, opportunity for discussion and information sharing in breakout rooms

Workshop A

Autism and Employment: Supporting employers in mainstream settings

  • Keith Ingram, Cardiff & the Vale Autism Lead and Chair of National Local Autism Leads Forum
  • Wendy Thomas, National Professional Lead Autism, Welsh LGA

Workshop B

Learning Disabled and Employment: Supporting employers in mainstream settings

  • Sian Clarke, Operations Manager, ELITE
  • Chris English, Training Manager, ELITE
  • Robyn Williams, Training Manager, Agoriad Cyf

Workshop C

The Welsh Government Skills’ Response to Covid-19 for employers

  • Edwyn Williams, Head of Engagement, Employability and Skills, Welsh Government

 

Workshop D

“What Works in Work?

  • Catherine Leggett, Employment Engagement Manager, National Autistic Society

Workshop E – recording unavailable

Supported Employment in Wales: Emerging issues in challenging times for supported employment providers and employers

  • Dr Elisa Vigna, National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH), Cardiff University


Part 4 – Plenary and Way Forward

Feedback

Some comments received from the delegates who attended the live symposium include:

“Really enjoyed all the speakers this morning, very informative, thank you to everyone involved putting all of this together”

“Really useful morning. Thanks”

“Thank you very much for everyone’s contributions – a really informative morning!”

“Thank you very informative”

Next Steps…

The Team will host an employment symposium for autistic people and people with a learning disability in 2021. If you are autistic and/or have a learning disability and would like to be involved in the planning reference group for the next symposium, please let us know by emailing us at AutismWales@WLGA.gov.uk.

Get involved!

It’s not too late to get involved and participate in some of the discussions of the symposium. Follow us on social media and tag us in your posts by using the handle @AutismWales.

Downloads

Programme
Workshop descriptions
Meet your Co-chairs