On April 15, 2015 the Asperger Syndrome Training and Employment Partnership (ASTEP) will bring its Corporate Lecture Series to Los Angeles, California after successful events in New York and San Francisco. The program is designed to connect college students and recent graduates with Asperger Syndrome and similar autism profiles to employers in their area. Employer participants for the Los Angeles lecture series include The Recording Academy ®, PwC, XPRIZE Foundation, Northwestern Mutual, Tatum,  Randstad Engineering, and NBCUniversal.

The timing of ASTEP’s L.A. lecture series is particularly noteworthy as it occurs during National Autism Awareness Month. The three-hour event will be broken into three sections: company presentations, interactive exercises and a networking session for attendees and company representatives. To prepare student attendees for the job search process, the program will focus on improving networking skills, refining personal career goals, understanding corporate culture and developing a personal brand as a job candidate. Companies participating in the event will learn about integrating individuals with Asperger Syndrome or similar autism profiles into the workplace and the special capabilities these employees possess.

ASTEP board member Wendy Hensel — a leading expert on disability employment law, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development, and Professor of Law at Georgia State University — will be presenting Legal Aspects of Autism in the Workplace for the participating employers as well.

“This event provides the opportunity for a two-way interaction between employers and individuals with Asperger’s,” said Marcia Scheiner, President and Founder of ASTEP. “An estimated 35 percent of young adults on the autism spectrum attend college, while nearly 85 percent of these adults are either unemployed or underemployed. The goal of this program is to develop students on the spectrum into better job candidates while introducing potential employers to the talents of these individuals.” 

Since its inception in 2011, over 70 students have completed ASTEP’s corporate lecture series program. The event is an extension of ASTEP’s overall mission to improve the quality of life for individuals with Asperger Syndrome and similar autism spectrum profiles through suitable and sustainable employment. 

“Given the success of our previous events, I am confident all students attending our Los Angeles Corporate Lecture Series will walk away with a better understanding of how to successfully begin a rewarding, long-term career,” said Ms. Scheiner. “I am excited to see how the bright minds in attendance will grow as a result of the experience, while educating and enlightening our employer participants on the many positive ways individuals with Asperger Syndrome and similar autism profiles can contribute to corporate culture.”

About ASTEP

Founded in 2010, ASTEP (Asperger Syndrome Training & Employment Partnership) is a 501(c)3 organization that provides end-to-end solutions for Fortune 1000 companies interested in hiring and retaining employees with Asperger’s and similar autism profiles. What sets ASTEP apart from similar recruitment firms is its focus on the employer side of the equation; ASTEP’s mission creates not only opportunities for individuals but also employer access to this underappreciated and underemployed workforce.

Contact: Callie Summers at 952.994.2523 (callie@ainsleyshea.com)

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