From humble beginnings as a two-man team in 2016, our Employment Futures provision has gone from strength to strength over the past five years and has provided crucial support to those who face the biggest barriers to employment.

Employment Futures’ mission is to help remove barriers to meaningful and sustained employment for autistic and/or neurodivergent adults and those with a learning disability.

Under the leadership of Derek Groves, the team has helped hundreds of people across the North-east by offering personalised support and advice around employment, as well as working with employers to promote inclusivity and highlight the benefits of a diverse workforce.

Our experienced team of employment specialists provide personalised support to hundreds of jobseekers each year, regardless of their work history, via a range of free-to-access employment programmes. 

From CV writing and interview preparation, to finding suitable work placements and securing long-term employment, the team is on hand to help every step of the way. 

Employment Futures also supports local employers with the likes of recruitment, carrying out risk assessments and making reasonable adjustments in the workplace. 

Since its inception, the service has helped more than 800 people across the North-east to access work placements, training, education and full-time employment via a range of projects, including Moving On Tyne and Wear, the Personal Mentor Programme and the Unlock Your Potential programme.

And Employment Futures is showing no sign of slowing down. With seven projects currently being delivered across the region, Derek says his team expect to help a further 450 participants to gain skills, experience and, hopefully, employment by the end of this financial year.

In the first year that Employment Futures launched we helped around 40 participants. We’re now in our fifth year and that number has grown to more than 400 per year, but we still celebrate every single person who secures a job as a big win! - Derek Groves.

Meet the Team.