The Australian Department of Human Services (DHS) and Hewlett-Packard (HP) Australia will work together with a Danish company, the Specialist People Foundation, to provide skilled employment for people with autism, reports The Australian Government News.

Minister for Human Services Senator Marise Payne said an agreement between the three organisations, which will provide 12 candidates with employment through a three-year traineeship, was signed this week.

The trainees will be employed by HP and based in the department's Adelaide ICT hub.

Ms Payne stated: "We are proud to be working with such progressive organisations to provide people with Autism Spectrum Disorder a fantastic opportunity to work in a field that allows them to harness their unique skills and ability. This is DHS and HP's first project of its kind in Australia, as well as the first Specialist People Foundation engagement in the country.”

HP Australia Managing Director Nick Wilson believes building a diverse and inclusive culture is the right thing to do from a societal standpoint and for business: "At HP we believe diversity and inclusion create a competitive advantage, helping drive growth, productivity and innovation. We're looking forward to providing rewarding employment for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, by matching their characteristics with specialist roles.”

"Staff will commence their traineeships in December with training provided by HP Australia and Specialist People Foundation, while further education will be made available through Open Universities Australia and the University of South Australia," he added.

Specialist People Foundation Founder Thorkil Sonne said this employment concept has been successfully implemented by his organisation in 12 countries around the world: "Our goal is to make one million jobs available to people with autism and similar challenges worldwide. We work to harness the special characteristics and talents of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and use them as a means to secure meaningful employment.”

"This is the perfect partnership for our introduction into Australia and we are looking forward to seeing the benefits of this project, just as we have seen overseas," Mr Sonne concluded.