MONTREAL An innovative, life-changing job training program is making change for Canadians with autism who are facing some of the highest levels of unemployment in the country. Giant Steps Montreal, an organization devoted to educating autistic youth, has teamed up with grocery chains Loblaw and Provigo to provide training and internships as part of a new nine-month program. “They have an opportunity for full-time employment, full pay [and] benefits, which is what we are hoping for them,” Wagar Adult Education Centre principal Nick Katalifos told CTV News. His school is providing students as part of the program. The national unemployment rate in Canada is just over eight per cent, but that figure is more than ten times higher for Canadians with autism. And the new bilingual Polaris Enterprise initiative is hoping to tackle that by preparing students to be ready for front-line work.
Giant Steps: a Montreal initiative teams up with Loblaw to provide jobs for autistic adults theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.