About Spectrum Works:

Spectrum Works is a unique nonprofit social enterprise that provides paid on-the-job training for young autistic adults by partnering with companies to create more inclusive workplaces. Spectrum Works also sells high quality and discounted screen printing and promotional products produced with the assistance of the young autistic adults in their programs, and all proceeds are used to further fund the program services.

This innovative employment program offers young autistic adults, both in high school and post-high school, the skills and real-life job experiences they need to get and keep a job. The program incorporates integrated on-the-job training, classroom-based learning, and competitive employment opportunities via partnerships with participating companies. Each partner company works with Spectrum Works to educate their employees, and implement a scalable employment program that can be customized according to their needs, goals, and objectives. By co-locating within partner companies, Spectrum Works’ job coaches become experts in the students’ responsibilities and act as on-site mentors, helping not only the students but also the neuro-typical company employees who work alongside them. The job coaches stay with the students through the lifetime of the process from training to placement as interns and potentially placement as employees. The Spectrum Works model helps young autistic adults reach their potential for stable, successful, economically self-sufficient lives and, at the same time, helps partner companies find good employees and create more integrated and empathetic workforces.

Since 2013, Spectrum Works has been…
- Raising awareness that autistic individuals can be valuable productive employees
- Implementing sustainable and scalable employment programs at companies
- Successfully training and educating this population for meaningful employment
- Directly partnering with over 30 NJ high schools to help transition autistic students into the workforce
- Offering screen printing and promotional products with a triple bottom line: high quality products, discounted prices, and a huge social impact for diversity and inclusion as the preparation, counting, graphic design, sorting, and packing of these items is done by young autistic adults in their program
- Ultimately creating more integrated workforces across NJ through greater education and opportunity

NJ Congressional District: 9