DXC Technology’s Dandelion Program Goes Global through New Online Platform
News Release -- August 16, 2017
New university and industry partnerships to allow employers to access training to aid the employment of people on the Autism spectrum
Sydney, Australia, 14 August 2017 - DXC Technology, the world’s leading independent, end-to-end IT services company, has today announced high level partnerships which will allow universal access to a new neuro diversity and autism online training platform.
DXC Technology has partnered with Uptimize, Integrate Autism Employment Advisors, La Trobe University and Cornell University to provide global businesses with the knowledge, research and experience it has gained through its pioneering Dandelion program.
First piloted in Adelaide in 2014, the DXC Dandelion program has been successfully assisting people on the autistic spectrum to build IT careers in partnership with the Australian Department of Defence, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. The goal of the DXC Dandelion Work Experience Program is to provide higher education students with the opportunity to take part in technical work experience and improve their confidence, technical and team working skills to increase their employability.
The company recently announced new partnerships with higher education institutes in Australia’s capital, and this latest move will help the program go global, providing valuable support resources for employers who are considering, or already engaged in Autism at Work programs.
Uptimize, an online training provider which specialises in neurodiversity in the workplace and Integrate Autism Employment Advisors, a service which connects employers and graduates with autism, will work closely with DXC Technology, Australia’s La Trobe University and Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, USA.
“These partnerships will allow DXC to further enrich the training material from the learnings and evidence based research we have developed over the last four years. Organisations globally will be able to leverage our experience and knowledge via an electronic platform that will provide employers ‘just in time’ training to assist with building the skills and capabilities needed to hire people on the Autism spectrum and retain them. We are looking at this scalable and sustainable solution to not only provide ongoing education and training but to improve integration and inclusivity in the workplace,” said Michael Fieldhouse, Dandelion program executive, DXC Technology Australia & New Zealand.
“The DXC Dandelion program is one of the world’s most robust, extensive, and successful autism employment initiatives. We are excited to partner with DXC and to include insights and approaches, along with expert input from Integrate, La Trobe, and Cornell, in our online training tools”, said Ed Thompson, CEO, Uptimize.
“Integrate Autism Employment Advisors is excited to be partnering with DXC, La Trobe, and Cornell, to increase competitive employment opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum. The DXC Dandelion program is a role model for all employers looking to hire and retain a neurodiverse workforce. We look forward to bringing our expertise in helping organisations identify, recruit and retain professionals on the Autism spectrum to this partnership”, said Marcia Scheiner, President, Integrate Autism Employment Advisors.
“Cornell University is pleased to contribute to this exciting collaboration by providing findings from workplace disability inclusion research conducted within the university by the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability. These types of employer resources will assist in building scalability and sustainability in new neuro-diversity programs”, said Professor Susanne Bruyere, Director of the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (Yang-Tan Institute) at Cornell University.
"The importance of collaborations between these different organisations in building knowledge, translating this into training and education programs, and then sharing this via online systems serves to enhance the impact globally for those with autism and the employers who want to access their talents. It’s in this way that you build a sustainable solution for employing people with autism, who continue to be unemployed or underemployed. We want to change this reality, and global collaborations are important to achieve this." said Professor Cheryl Dissanayake, Director, Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University.
About DXC Technology
DXC Technology (DXC: NYSE) is the world’s leading independent, end-to-end IT services company, helping clients harness the power of innovation to thrive on change. Created by the merger of CSC and the Enterprise Services business of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, DXC Technology serves nearly 6,000 private and public sector clients across 70 countries. The company’s technology independence, global talent and extensive partner network combine to deliver powerful next-generation IT services and solutions. DXC Technology is recognized among the best corporate citizens globally. For more information, visit www.dxc.technology.
About Uptimize
Uptimize’s unique online training platform enables forward-thinking companies to attract, hire, retain and nurture the untapped potential of neurodiverse talent. Uptimize’s scalable bite-sized digital learning resources support organizations in both hiring neurodiverse talent, and in boosting awareness of neurodiversity enterprise-wide. Uptimize has notably partnered with Microsoft since early 2016, supporting Microsoft’s autism hiring initiatives in Washington; Microsoft have provided input for Uptimize’s training modules. For more information, visit www.uptimize.com.
About Integrate Autism Employment Advisors
Integrate Autism Employment Advisors offers a full service advisory network connecting employers to college graduates with autism. Its vision is to increase inclusive competitive employment opportunities for college graduates with autism by helping organisations to identify, recruit, and retain qualified professionals on the autism spectrum. For more information, visit www.integrateadvisors.org.
Contacts
- Sheila Dhillon, Director, Corporate Communications, DXC Technology - sdhillon@dxc.com
