A groundbreaking initiative aimed at addressing the employment gap among autistic adults is being launched in partnership with UCLA Health and Texas A&M’s National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM). This innovative program combines cutting-edge biomanufacturing training with essential soft skills education to prepare autistic job seekers for meaningful careers in the growing biomanufacturing industry.
Autistic adults face an unemployment rate far higher than the general population, despite expressing a strong desire to work. This new program aims to bridge the gap by equipping participants with both the hard and soft skills necessary for long-term success in the workplace.
Through Texas A&M’s NCTM, participants will gain hands-on experience and technical training in biomanufacturing, learning vital skills needed to thrive in this specialized industry. Complementing this is UCLA’s Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) for Careers program, developed by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, which focuses on the soft skills required to find and maintain employment. These include resume building, job interviewing techniques, networking, organizational skills, and stress management.
“We know that autistic individuals have an incredible capacity to contribute to the workforce, especially in fields like biomanufacturing, which require precision and attention to detail,” said Laugeson, who is also a clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
“By combining evidence-based social skills training with specialized technical training in biomanufacturing, the NeuroPIPES study is breaking new ground in preparing autistic adults for meaningful and sustainable employment. This innovative approach addresses both the interpersonal and technical aspects of workforce readiness, empowering individuals to thrive in competitive industries,” said Dr. Amanda Gulsrud, associate clinical professor at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
The program’s hard skills training will be led by Dr. Baley Reeves, a co-investigator at Texas A&M and director at the NCTM. Participants will engage in a rigorous curriculum covering biomanufacturing processes, regulatory compliance, and laboratory techniques.
“Biomanufacturing is a fast-growing industry with a significant demand for skilled professionals,” said Reeves. “Autistic individuals are uniquely suited to excel in this field, and our training will provide them with the foundational skills they need to succeed. Combining this with the soft skills training from PEERS for Careers makes this program a game-changer for both participants and employers.”
The program is designed to not only enhance employment outcomes for autistic adults but also to increase diversity and inclusion in the biomanufacturing industry. By providing targeted training and support, this partnership between UCLA and Texas A&M aims to create a replicable model for workforce development in other fields. Link Consulting and Rangam Consultants are providing neurodiversity-inclusive design training to partnering employers so that candidates are set up for success during interviews.
Applications for the program are now open, with training set to begin late February this year. Interested individuals can visit https://nctm.tamu.edu/NeuroPIPES/ for more information and application details.
About UCLA PEERS for Careers
The UCLA PEERS for Careers program is an evidence-based social skills intervention developed by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson. It is part of the Program for Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS), an internationally recognized program for individuals with social challenges.
About Texas A&M National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing
The National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM) is a state-of-the-art facility at Texas A&M University that provides advanced training in biomanufacturing and therapeutics production, with a focus on workforce development and innovation.
