OPPORTUNITIES FOR Universities
The opportunity for universities is to be part of a community of practice focussed on:
developing and promoting the Hub in realising development and employment opportunities for their neurodiverse students
partnering with potential employers in Hub activities to better appreciate and access this new talent pool and accommodate this cohort within their businesses
participating in potential neurodiverse-related research projects arising through the Hub’s activities.
Universities involved in the initiative
The following universities are participating in the Neurodiversity Hub initiative:
In Australia
IN the USA
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
“Swinburne welcomes this collaboration as an opportunity to increase the number of roles available to Swinburne students in the IT professions, including cyber security, testing and data science. We value initiatives that foster equity and diversity and create an inclusive workplace.”
— DR ANDREW SMITH, VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENTS, SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY
“This is a great opportunity for us to help more students access workplace experiences that enhance their employability, boost their job confidence and to make vital connections with large-scale employers.”
— PROFESSOR JOANNE WRIGHT, DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR (ACADEMIC), UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
“We are committing to establishing a Neurodiversity Hub in Perth that will help improve the employability of and employment opportunities for students with autism, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
— AASQA FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR PROFESSOR TELE TAN, SCHOOL OF CIVIL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, CURTIN UNIVERSITY
“Landmark College has always been a “hub” insofar as we only enroll neurodivergent students with some learning difficulty (learning disability, ADHD, autism). However, with this new status as a formal Neurodiversity Hub, we look forward to even greater learning and employment success for our students. With the Center for Neurodiversity https://www.landmark.edu/center-for-neurodiversity and our research and development efforts, we are committed to joining industry partners who are championing the benefits of a more neurodiverse workforce. ”
— DR PETER EDEN, PRESIDENT, LANDMARK COLLEGE
“People with autism have long been overlooked in the workplace. This is partly due to the challenges some of them have with communication and social interaction. These challenges overlook the fact that nearly half of those diagnosed with autism have above-average intelligence, excellent visual perception and are task-focused. This makes them ideally suited to many jobs in the IT sector, including cyber security, testing and data science.”
— PROFESSOR CAROL GRECH, PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR: STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND EQUITY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA