The Great Resignation’s Untapped Talent: The Autism Community

Call it the Great Resignation, the Big Quit, or the Extraordinary Exodus.

Whatever its name, the economic trend of employees voluntarily resigning from their jobs en masse has left businesses scrambling to keep the doors open. A record 47.4 million workers quit nationwide in 2021. In Colorado, with one of the highest resignation rates in the country, we’ve seen the impact ripple through the ski industry, food service, deliveries, and construction trades, among others.

But as wages rise and a new wave of potential employees have their pick of open jobs in many industries, one group of workers is still being overlooked — the autism community.

With a 90-percent unemployment rate, and many employers aiming to embrace authentic diversity with neurodiverse hiring programs, the employment of people with autism remains stagnant. This means a massive group of individuals willing to work are being overlooked or not even considered — even with a labor shortage.

Having a diversity of thinking styles and abilities is important for innovative decision-making. Just ask Tesla.

Tapping into the Talent

Elon Musk, the richest person to ever live, according to Forbes, has autism and runs Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, and Neuralink. For two of the past three years, TIME Magazine has chosen an individual with autism as its “Person of the Year.”

Studies show that when placed in a career based on their strength, individuals with autism have a 98.6-percent on-task time and 94-percent retention rate. That’s more than double that of neurotypical peers.

While Musk is the exception to many rules, research shows that his peers on the spectrum are valuable additions to companies, providing tangible business benefits to companies that hire them.

Today, TACT has impacted the lives of over 700 students and has grown to now include classes in carpentry, woodworking, instrument building, welding, auto mechanic skills, STEM, computer science, photography, graphic design, textile arts, and more.

The Society for Human Resource Management notes that people on the spectrum often demonstrate trustworthiness, strong memories, reliability, adherence to rules, and attention to detail. They also bring neurodiversity, an important component for organizational innovation. Having a diversity of thinking styles and abilities is important for innovative decision-making. Just ask Tesla.

Still, the underemployment of individuals on the spectrum persists. While bias undoubtably plays a role, a lack of adequate job training is also a component. Fortunately, organizations across the country are stepping up to fill the gap.

Skills Building

In Denver, TACT — Teaching the Autism Community Trades — aims to highlight the strengths and abilities of the autism community. As the co-founder of TACT, I started the organization in 2016 after learning that my son had autism. I wanted to give him and his peers the skills they need to succeed as independent working individuals.

Today, TACT has impacted the lives of over 700 students and has grown to now include classes in carpentry, woodworking, instrument building, welding, auto mechanic skills, STEM, computer science, photography, graphic design, textile arts, and more.

And our work is changing the stigma that is keeping employers from considering hiring this untapped pool of workers. More than 80 percent of TACT clients get jobs — good jobs — that are turning into careers. Companies like AutoNation, Advance Auto, Ball Aerospace, Bluestar, DelTech Recyclers, McDonald Auto, Sturgeon Electric, UC Health, Weifield Contracting Group, and more have hired TACT clients.

The TACT model is working, and it’s time that employers looking for employees broaden their horizons and embrace a neurodiverse workforce. There’s talent to be found with eager-to-work, creative individuals who bring many benefits to employers and co-workers alike.

Danny Combs is co-founder of Denver-based TACT (Teaching the Autism Community Trades), the nation’s only skilled trades program for individuals living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).