Julie Anderson has been blown away by the professional and personal growth experienced by her son, Jack, since he was employed by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and took up a role working with the Department of Human Services as part of the Dandelion Programme.
The programme which is a partnership between the Department of Human Services, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Danish organisation Specialisterne, is an Australian first, with an initial pilot starting at the Department of Human Services in Adelaide last year.
“I was immensely pleased when Jack was accepted into the Dandelion Programme,” Julie said.
“The people running Dandelion obviously know how to get through to and bring out the best in people on the Autism Spectrum, and I was extremely grateful for that.”
“For one thing Jack wouldn’t have to endure a stringent interview process, but most of all he would be in a comfortable and understanding environment.”
23-year-old Jack, who works out of a Department of Human Services office in Brisbane, has settled in well and is enjoying everything his new role has to offer.
“Jack is far more confident in just about everything he does these days,” Julie said.
“He also socialises with his work colleagues every Friday night, something he never did previously, and this has been wonderful to see.
“He’s also been back in touch with a couple of old high school friends and I think all of that is because he has grown in leaps and bounds socially due to his employment and the Dandelion Programme.”
Julie said Jack’s success has also had a very positive effect on her personal life.
“After he stopped studying, I was in despair about what he was going to do. Having worked in the employment industry I knew what was ahead of him in regards to applying for jobs, not to mention the fact that there aren’t that many jobs available in the first place.
“Now that I know Jack is doing well and leading a productive life my life has changed.”
She also encouraged anyone in a similar situation to contact organisers of the Dandelion Programme to see if they’re running something in their city.
“I would highly recommend this, it is the best programme that has ever been accessible to people on the Autism Spectrum.”
Hear more from Julie about how the Dandelion Programme has helped Jack.
Read more about Jack’s experience in the Dandelion Programme.
More information
Enquiries about the programme can be directed to specialistpeople@hpe.com
