Skills and Employment | HACS Charity

Skills & Employment

Vocational training and support to find and retain employment for people with learning disabilities or autism over 16 years.

Personalised support for people with autism or learning difficulties aged 16-25 to access vocational training, find and retain employment.

We will work with you to find out what is important to you and design a flexible package of support, which can include:

Mentoring to develop your skills and confidence

Supported work placements with TSI trained Job Coaches

Vocational courses in partnership with FE Colleges

Work-related benefits support

In work support through Access to Work

Travel training

Training for employers

We are delivery partners in the DFN Project Search "Transition to Work” programme for autistic and/or learning disabled young people aged 17 – 24 years. This is a supported internship programme at Civic Centre, Uxbridge in partnership with Hillingdon Council and Orchard Hill College for those who are committed to gaining full time employment.

We are excited to announce the expansion of our highly successful DFN Project Search programme and the opening of a second site based at Hillingdon Hospital in September 2023, providing new types of work experience roles in the health and social care sector.

Flower Site Carnation Delivery prep stag

Josh has recently completed a placement at Flowersite in Hayes where he discovered his love for horticulture. Josh believes that his work placements with HACS have improved his communication skills and he is proud of the work he is doing.

"When I start my placement, I build up my confidence & have nothing to worry about" - Josh

"Josh has been a pleasure to have & a big help to us. He has been a brilliant worker" - Leigh Grieve, Flowersite

Support for Employers

Are you an employer looking to employ a diverse workforce? Here at HACS, we can help you!

Only 16% of autistic adults are in full time paid work (NAS, 2016)

You can reduce this gap & increase productivity in your workforce

We provide Disability Awareness & advice on reasonable adjustments

We can help you access funding to employ people with disabilities

Why employ Autistic people?

Autistic people can offer unique and incredible qualities to the workplace but they are currently largely unemployed and an untapped labour force due to a lack of awareness and understanding.

Autistic people possess exceptional talent that enables them to thrive in many everyday roles. It is also proven that employing an autistic person will bring a range of employer benefits including increased productivity, lower absenteeism and lower turnover rates.

Making some straightforward adjustments to workplace structures and ensuring businesses are more ‘autism friendly’ will allow us for us to make use of this exceptional talent and ensure that is not going to waste.

As well as individual traits & strengths, it’s also common autism people to exude: