LiNC-IT is a partnership between various organizations which support autistic individuals who are seeking internships and early career employment opportunities. The current unemployment rate for individuals with autism spectrum disorder is 86% despite the fact that many of these individuals have the skills and education employers need.
The LiNC-IT Collaborative
LiNC-IT was launched in 2018 and is the first statewide workforce program to support autistic talent. The LiNC-IT Collaborative was created to facilitate employment experience, paid internships, or on-the-job training for students and professionals with autism, as well as to provide employers with a pipeline of excellent talent often missed during conventional recruitment processes. The following organizations play an essential role in supporting the pipeline of neurodivergent employees:
LiNC-IT leverages vocational rehabilitation funding from the NC Department of Health and Human Services with job coaching providers who are experts in supporting autistic individuals.
Employers who have benefitted from LiNC-IT recruits
Alamance Community College
Bank of America
BioAgilytix
Biogen
Carrboro Arts Center
Caterpillar
Credit Suisse
Deutsche Bank
Duke University Libraries
Fidelity Investments
General Electric
Jackson Hewitt
JP Morgan
Lenovo
Matthews Engineering
NC Dept of Commerce
NC Dept of Health and Human Services
NC Dept of Information Technology
NC Dept of Insurance
NC Dept of Natural and Cultural Resources
NC Dept of Public Instruction
NC Dept of Public Safety
NC Dept of Revenue
NC Dept of Transportation
NC Human Trafficking Commission
NC Office of the Governor
NCBCE
Novo Nordisk
Novozymes North America
Participate
PassionIT Group
PennyMac
Public Policy Polling
SAS
State Employees Credit Union
Smithfield Foods
SoftwareONE
Southern Alamance Family Connection
State Library of North Carolina
Technica Editorial Services
Thriving on the Spectrum
UNC Chapel Hill
UNC Healthcare
Vadum
Wake County Public Libraries
Wake Technical Community College
Wells Fargo
Check out the website NCcareers.org! It is a database of the number of job openings and salaries in North Carolina. It is a great resource to have as one considers what career to pursue.
Explore NCWorks’ website or visit your local NCWorks center. They offer assistance with cover letter preparation, interview practice, and other aspects of the job search. They are also familiar with local job opportunities. NCWorks' services are offered at no cost to job seekers.
NC Autism & Higher Education Collaborative
The North Carolina Autism & Higher Education Collaborative, jointly led by UNC TEACCH and the NC Business Committee for Education, hosts virtual meetings every 1-2 months. These meetings are open to faculty and staff from community colleges, four-year colleges, and universities. Each session typically features a guest speaker, followed by a Q&A segment and an opportunity for attendees to share updates about programs at their institutions or highlight upcoming opportunities. Recordings of past meetings are available on our resources page.
If you’re interested in joining the NC Autism & Higher Education Collaborative, please contact us at ncbceadmin@nc.gov.
Leadership of the LiNC-IT Collaborative:
Caroline Sullivan, Executive Director of the North Carolina Business Committee for Education
Morgan Crawford, Deputy Director at the North Carolina Business Committee for Education
Emma Friesen, Program Coordinator for LiNC-IT at the North Carolina Business Committee for Education and Member of the State Rehabilitation Council
Kathy Miles, Program Manager for LiNC-IT Youth Apprenticeship at the North Carolina Business Committee for Education
Michael Chapman, Director of TEACCH Employment Services at UNC Chapel Hill
Glenna Osborne, Director of Transition Services at the TEACCH Autism Program at UNC Chapel Hill
Shannon Pena, Employment Supports Director at the Autism Society of North Carolina
Mindy Govan, Transition and Employment Services Director at the Autism Society of North Carolina
Adrienne Kittle, Program Specialist for I/DD at the NC Division of Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities (NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation)
Becca Alley, Neurodivergent Advisor and Owner / CEO, Neuroinclusion Hub, LLC
If you are interested in LiNC-IT fliers, contact us at ncbceadmin@nc.gov.
There is a flier for participants and a flier for employer partners.