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Building an inclusive labour force

Ready, Willing, & Able (RWA)

We believe that every Autistic individual has the right to equitable access to meaningful employment.

Ready, Willing & Able (RWA) is a national initiative that engages, educates and supports employers to hire people on the autism spectrum or with an intellectual disability. Canucks Autism Network is a RWA partner, co-delivering the program with Inclusion BC in British Columbia.

If you are an individual on the spectrum looking for work, or an employer interested in inclusive hiring, we can help you reach your goals.

See our impact:

Videos made in collaboration with True Calling Media, Presidents Group & Meridian Farm Market.

Contact Us

For Job Seekers in the Lower Mainland

Due to the high number of job seekers connecting to navigation services, please expect a response in 5 business days or more. Thank you for your patience in the meantime.

Do you identify as being on the autism spectrum? Are you looking for employment in the Lower Mainland or need a little extra support in your post-secondary studies?

Through the Ready, Willing and Able program, our Navigator of Youth and Adult Services can support you in navigating your path to success by connecting you to community agencies and services that:

  • provide pre-employment and employment readiness supports
  • have connections to competitive employment opportunities with businesses in a variety of industries
  • provide any additional supports or accommodations that may be needed on the job
  • refer job seekers to services that focus on mental health, life skills, housing, etc.
  • help you with your post-secondary studies (e.g. coursework and accommodations needed to complete and internship or field placement)

If you are interested in employment, please review and follow these instructions:

The Compass is a short online questionnaire. It is the first step in connecting to the CAN team. You will be asked questions about your employment, education history and your experience with employment services and supports in your community. It should only take about 10 minutes to complete.

  1. Review the Terms of Use for The Compass.
  2. Fill out this Compass Questionnaire.
  3. After completing the questionnaire, Maegan will follow up with you by phone or email to arrange a time to meet (either in-person or virtually). In your meeting, we will learn more about your support needs and connect you to post-secondary supports, employment supports and/or paid employment opportunities in your community.

If you need assistance or would prefer to speak to a CAN staff directly, please contact:

Maegan O’Neill
Navigator, Youth and Adult Services
Autism Outreach Coordinator | Ready, Willing & Able
[email protected]

For Job Seekers in Kelowna

Connect with a range of community agencies that provide a) pre-employment supports, b) employment opportunities, c) on-the-job supports, d) mental health, life skills & housing services, e) post-secondary support and more:

KELOWNA

PENTICTON

VERNON

Note that access for certain resources requires eligibility for Community Living BC funding.

For Employers in the Lower Mainland

The Ready, Willing, and Able (RWA) program is designed to help employers access the business benefits and value of inclusive hiring. Through RWA, we support businesses of all sizes and industries to address specific labour needs through hiring qualified candidates on the autism spectrum or with an intellectual disability.

Our Employer Engagement Specialist can support you in providing:

  • insights on the business benefits of inclusive hiring and the return on investment experienced by Canadian businesses who hire people on the spectrum or with an intellectual disability
  • disability awareness training
  • an individualized approach to developing and implementing inclusive recruitment and selection strategies
  • coordinated access to a broad talent pool of Autistic persons or individuals with an intellectual disability
  • direct connections to local employment agencies who provide complimentary on-the-job supports, such as job coaching, to qualified candidates and new employees on the autism spectrum or with an intellectual disability

If you are interested in inclusive hiring for your business, please contact:

Ross MacMillan, BA
Employer Engagement Specialist
Labour Market Facilitator | Ready, Willing & Able
[email protected]
604-655-4733

For Employers in Kelowna

The Ready, Willing, and Able (RWA) program is designed to help employers access the business benefits and value of inclusive hiring. Through RWA, we support businesses of all sizes and industries to address specific labour needs through hiring qualified candidates on the autism spectrum or with an intellectual disability.

Our Employment Engagement Specialist can support you in providing:

  • insights on the business benefits of inclusive hiring and the return on investment experienced by Canadian businesses who hire people on the spectrum or with an intellectual disability
  • disability awareness training
  • an individualized approach to developing and implementing inclusive recruitment and selection strategies
  • coordinated access to a broad talent pool of Autistic persons or individuals with an intellectual disability
  • direct connections to local employment agencies who provide complimentary on-the-job supports, such as job coaching, to qualified candidates and new employees on the autism spectrum or with an intellectual disability

If you are interested in inclusive hiring for your business, please contact:

Susan Noble
Employment Engagement Specialist
Labour Market Facilitator | Ready, Willing & Able – Kelowna
[email protected]

Funded by the Government of Canada’s Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities, RWA is a national partnership initiative of Inclusion Canada and Autism Alliance of Canada and their member organizations.