Ford expands program to employ autistic workers...

[AGXStarseed]

(Not written by me)

In May, the Ford Motor Company began a pilot program to train individuals with autism in the workplace. Recently, the automaker said that it was expanding the program to employ adults with autism, bringing on an additional 12 to 24 hires in 2017, according to reports by the Automotive News and Benchmark Monitor.

Ford is expanding its FordInclusiveWorks program to employ more adults with autism


Ford hired its first four adults with autism who have college degrees to work in its product development department at its headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, for the FordInclusiveWorks program, in partnership with the Autism Alliance of Michigan. The four original employees were on temporary status to start but all have become regular employees at Ford.

"When we started, we wanted to make sure we could do this and do it sustainably," said Kirstin Queen, manager of diversity and inclusion at Ford, in the Automotive News story. "The program was found to be very successful, and the supervisors have said these individuals brought a new energy that spread to other employees."

The Autism Alliance of Michigan is a non-profit that works with nearly 40 companies, including Ford, training staffers on making structured tasks, and how to interact with the new employees so everyone succeeds, including socially.

“The work is highly structured, requires a great deal of focus, and calls for a high level of attention to detail and organization. Skills required to complete this task safely and with a high level of quality lend themselves to strengths typically associated with individuals with autism,” said a press release on the Ford website.

“We applaud Ford for recognizing the value in employing people with autism," said Autism Speaks Vice President of Adult Services Leslie Long on the Autism Speaks website when Ford initially announced the program. "This trend of tapping into a labor pool that is skilled and engaged is critical for companies to be successful in the next century.”

The expansion of the program has already begun and the extra jobs are expected to be filled by January.


Source: http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/11/28/ford-expands-program-employ-autistic-workers

 

[tree]

This policy is in line with what Ford wanted in his shops:
putting people into jobs for which they were uniquely suited.
Like....deaf people in the noisy areas. Legless people in
jobs where sitting was the way to do the work...etc.

 

[Xenocity]

This policy is in line with what Ford wanted in his shops:
putting people into jobs for which they were uniquely suited.
Like....deaf people in the noisy areas. Legless people in
jobs where sitting was the way to do the work...etc.

That's not entirely true.
Henry Ford ended up hating the employees before the Great Depression and UAW happened.
He literally drafted a plan to replace all the American Workers with cheap foreign labor to cut labor costs (pre union).
He even had a plan to shut down his American plants and move them South of the border to increase his profits (pre union)

He was a horrible man when it came to workers rights and how he treated his employees.


Henry Ford also refused to support the U.S. and allied war effort, while supporting Hitler with actual money and resources.
It got the point that Congress gave FDR the OK to seize Ford Motor Company (nationalized) and arrest Ford for treason.
His wife and dying son (he drove him into an early grave) at the last minute convinced him to hand over power to someone who was willing to support the war effort and cut ties with Germany.
FDR called off the troops and the rest was history.

Point being Henry Ford was horrible employer who chased profits at all costs.
(This is coming from someone who has always lived within 2 hours of Ford HQ)

As for the the program there is a massive wait list (according to my counselor who works with the people who run the program)
Most of the jobs aren't something most people in general wouldn't do.

I found out when I inquired about it with my counselor a few months back.


Most of the jobs have to do with part testing, especially with tires.
They aren't all that meaningful and important jobs.
Ford is doing this program as PR stunt to repair their public relations, after they announced moving a lot of good jobs and production lines to Mexico within the next year.

Many companies ranging from SAP, Microsoft, Apple and others have actually decent programs.

 

[Xenocity]

Also I've heard the program's success hinges on how well it repairs their public image.

Essentially if this doesn't have significant positive impact on their image with public as in it doesn't move the needle, then the program is dead!

I expect them to kill this program in summer, since their image is still tanking.

Seriously Ford is literally doing this program as massive PR gamble to deflect from their Future plans of moving production to Mexico.

 

[tree]

Yeah, I know about that stuff, too.
I didn't say he employed the deaf in noisy
areas because he was a nice guy.
I am aware that he developed his strategies
to maximum 'efficiency' and his profits.