SAP NEWSBYTE — SAP Australia today launched Autism at Work, an initiative that enables people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to find qualified employment in the company. The announcement came at the NDIS New World: Disability in the 21st Century conference in Brisbane, hosted by the National Disability Insurance Agency.
SAP Australia plans to have one per cent of its workforce comprising people with ASD by 2020. This is in line with SAP SE’s ASD workforce goal of one percent globally – consistent with the percentage of people with ASD in the general population*.
“SAP is committed to its Autism at Work program, which enables us to leverage the unique skills and abilities that people with autism bring to the workplace,” said Anka Wittenberg, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at SAP. “We are excited to launch this successful program in Australia, which will enable the region to add talented, skilled individuals to the team and enable SAP to benefit from the innovation and value they bring to our business.”
Launched in 2013 with Specialisterne – a Danish company that focuses on helping people with ASD find jobs – SAP’s Autism at Work programme currently employs people in offices in Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, India, Ireland and the United States. Australia is the eighth country where SAP has launched this programme. SAP plans to have about 100 people with ASD employed at the company by the end of this year.
John Craven, Chairman, Specialisterne Australia, said: “We are sure that SAP’s commitment will inspire other Australian companies to follow and harness the power that autism diversity can deliver. Assisting SAP also helps Specialisterne move a step closer to its goal of one million jobs for people with autism globally.”
SAP Australia plans to hire new employees with ASD across various business functions by March 2016. Interested candidates and organisations should contact SAP Australia to learn how to apply and for further information.
*Exact global figures are not available. Reliable sources for autism statistics include the Autism Society, Autism Speaks, or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For more information, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.
Media Contact:
Ewen Doddrell, Howorth (for SAP): +61 (0)416 753 240, ewen@howorth.com.au, AEDT
Simon Gomes, SAP: +61 (0)400 422 069, simon.gomes@sap.com, AEST
Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP’s future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including SAP’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.
