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��Hi! My name is Megan Marshall. I am an Employment Facilitator who works with job seekers on the autism spectrum. I have over twenty years of experience in this field, advocating for and supporting autistic individuals in educational settings, residential care, recreation, and employment. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking with my two beagles, gardening, and dancing with my friends.

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Hello! My name is Ashley Harris. With twenty years of experience supporting individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities, I work as an Employment Facilitator. Throughout my career, I have assisted people in various settings and strongly advocate for job seekers to have opportunities to showcase their skills and strengths in the workplace. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family, going to the beach, and swimming.

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What to expect during our presentation:

A brief history of Avalon Employment Inc.
Where do we provide our services?
An overview of the Supported Employment Program
An overview of MentorAbility
Autism Employment Program Pilot – how it went and what happens next
The Business Case for employing adults with Autism
New program announcement!
Q and A

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A brief history of AEI

Avalon Employment Inc. has been helping individuals secure meaningful paid employment in St. John's and the surrounding area since 1992. As a not-for-profit organization, we provide services to people facing barriers to employment due to Intellectual Disabilities and/or Autism.
Our mission not only supports the individuals who seek our assistance but also benefits the business community. We believe in identifying skills and matching skills to vacant employment opportunities.
We identify, promote, and support job seekers as they search for sustainable, long-term employment with our guidance.
Identify employment opportunities across many sectors.
We influence government policies, regulations, and programs to improve the climate for inclusive and skill-based employment
We support and provide ongoing maintenance as required to ensure the continued employment of our clients.
We work with businesses to provide structure and support for best practices by incorporating tool kits and universal design ideas that benefit all employees.

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Where do we provide our services?

Our hub is located St. John’s. From this office, we provide Supported Employment (SE), Autism Employment Programming and MentorAbility

Clarenville and Bonavista: SE, Autism Program and MentorAbility
Labrador West: Autism Program
Corner Brook: Autism Program and MentorAbility

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Supported Employment

Supported Employment provides persons with intellectual disabilities equal opportunity to find meaningful and rewarding employment. Consideration is given to an individual's abilities, strengths, and personal interests.
When the strengths and interests of a supported employee are identified, the employment team then begins the job search and job match process by approaching suitable potential employers on their behalf.
The employer is responsible for paying the wages of the supported employee (either part-time or full-time), and A.E.I. can provide, if required, a co-worker to work one-on-one with the supported employee at NO COST to the employer. The role of the co-worker is to train and assist the supported employee, utilizing skill-building techniques to the point where he/she can perform the duties and responsibilities of the job independently. The level of support can eventually be reduced as the supported employee progresses.
Supported Employee: When a person with a disability works at a job that they truly enjoy, the benefits reach far beyond financial security. Working with others in a job placement also provides growth in social skills and self-esteem.
Employer: Employers benefit by gaining a hard-working, dedicated employee. Supported employees have lower levels of absenteeism and contribute greatly to the productivity of the business.

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MentorAbility

MentorAbility is a national initiative of the Canadian Association for Supported Employment (CASE)

CASE works with employers, industry associations, employment service providers, and community allies toward employment inclusion of persons who experience disability.

The CASE MentorAbility initiative is funded by the Government of Canada’s Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities Program.

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MentorAbility

Promotes workplace inclusion for persons experiencing disability
Offer activities and resources focused on creating strong and inclusive workplace cultures and practices
Facilitate short mentorships
Networking opportunities
Learning events

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Autism Employment Pilot Program

Funded by the Department of Immigration, Population Growth, and Skills of Newfoundland and Labrador, AEI launched an employment program for Autistic job seekers in June 2020. The program ended in March 2025.
The program included session-based professional development, which supported job seekers throughout the job search process. It focused on developing and improving social and communication skills and preparing a personalized employee toolkit that provides strategies and accommodations to promote independence and success in the workplace.
The program works with employers to offer insights on accommodations and strategies that support employed job seekers as they work independently. To participate in the program, job seekers must be 18 years of age or older, have a diagnosis of autism, and be capable of working independently. This program does not provide funding for a job coach.
Through individualized meetings, the program supports Job Seekers in job searching, developing and improving social and communication skills, and preparing tool kits. Tool Kits encourage and support independence and confidence in tasks, time management, executive functioning, and communication.
The program will also work with employers to provide insight into accommodations and strategies to support the employed Job Seeker as they work independently.
In 2021, this program was internationally recognized as one of the top 100 innovative programs for employment by the Zero Project in Geneva, Switzerland.

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The Business Case

From the Government of Canada, 2023

Statistics show that 80% of people with autism or intellectual disabilities are unemployed.
Autistic adults who are not employed rely on government transfers like provincial disability assistance or the Canada Disability Benefit.
Research indicates that more than half of Autistic Canadians depend on these types of disability benefits for income, highlighting a widespread reliance on government support.
It costs the government money not to support Autistic Canadians in securing meaningful, paid employment
Our goal is to bridge the gap. Employers need vacancies filled. Autistic job seekers have the skills. We help navigate the barriers to make this connection.
We act as a liaison between both parties, assisting where needed to support inclusion. We provide usable recommendations and tools to the job seeker, while equipping managers with the information they need to work best with Autistic employees

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Autism@Work

Introducing our new program!
Funded in partnership with the Federal Government of Canada and ACOA, we are close to launching an exciting new partnership
Together with colleagues across Atlantic Canada, Autism@ Work will connect “skilled-up” Autistic job seekers to employment

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Autism@Work

Based on the success of and using a similar model to our Autism Employment Program Pilot, the new Autism@Work program will be offered in Halifax (Teamwork Cooperative), New Brunswick (CCRW), Prince Edward Island (Resource Abilities), and of course, from Avalon Employment Inc.

Eligibility requires job seekers to be 18+ with a verification of an autism diagnosis, and the ability to work independently

Job seekers with more support requirements will be directed to the Supported Employment Program, and everyone is welcome to sign up for MentorAbility.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

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Thanks! Any Questions?

Please reach out to us directly if you prefer!

megan@avalonemploy.com

aharris@avalonemploy.com

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND