The long-term aim of Specialisterne is to develop a sustainable and ongoing program that will offer people on the autism spectrum a talent pathway into public service work.
Services Australia and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) partnered with Specialisterne to attract the skills and abilities of prospective people on the autism spectrum who can contribute to their workforce. The agencies recognise that one of their greatest assets is the diversity their staff bring to the organisation. By embracing their differences, they support everyone to realise their full potential. The agencies continue to focus on building a culture of inclusiveness and making the necessary cultural changes to align with the transformed employee experience.
Melbourne, December 2019
65 applications were received for 10 job roles based in Melbourne. 5 of the job positions were at the ATO for 3 IT Test Analysts, 1 Application Developer and 1 Data Analyst. Services Australia had 5 job roles available with 2 positions for Tactical Intelligence Officers, 2 Data Analyst and 1 Predictive Analyst.
Brisbane, March 2020
Brisbane attracted 67 applications for 8 jobs with 4 positions at Services Australia and 4 positions at the ATO. The job roles at Services Australia were for 1 Operational Intelligence Officer, 1 Tactical Intelligence Officer and 2 Technical Analysts. At the ATO there were 3 Data Engineer positions and 1 Performance Tester.
Canberra, May 2020
There were 5 job roles available through the program for the ATO, these roles were, IT Project Officer, IT Developer, Applications Tester, Performance Tester and Junior Web Applications Developer. Services Australia were seeking 1 Data Analyst and 1 Predictive Analyst.
What the hiring managers have to say:
“The support and enthusiasm of Nick, Brett and Natalie from Specialisterne has been fantastic. I knew nothing about autism or being on the spectrum prior to engaging in this program. To think these talented individuals were being overlooked for positions due to standard selection processes is criminal. I appreciate being educated and made aware…”
“The team at Specialisterne did a great job of facilitating the program, I am very impressed by the quality of the candidates and the support provided throughout the process.”
What the candidates have to say:
“Since beginning work at the ATO I feel supported by not just my manager but the whole team. There has been a lot of kindness and patience shown to me while I’m finding my feet in my role.”
“This job has opened up opportunities for future work by allowing for not just on the job training, but access to external learning resources to boost my skillset.”
“My autism is generally valued and not stigmatized in any way.”
“I felt like I could really contribute, even within a couple of weeks of working.”
