SAP introduces program to hire autistic people

By Bahk Eun-ji

Hyong Won-joon SAP Korea CEO

SAP Korea has introduced “Autism at Work” ― a unique global initiative to employ people with autism.

The program aims to have autistic employees making up 1 percent of the company’s 65,000 global workforce by 2020.

SAP ― a leading global provider of enterprise business applications, IT services, analytics and database technologies ― launched the international program in 2013.

The company has so far hired 40 autistic employees across its offices in the U.S., Ireland, the U.K., Canada and India.

“People with autism are not disabled ― they are talented people who have different abilities,” SAP Korea CEO Hyong Won-joon told journalists in Seoul.

He said Korea had a relatively high percentage of people with autism, but the least number employed.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, of 37 percent of disabled people who have a job, only 0.4 percent with autism are employed.

“SAP Korea will seek to correct the misunderstanding to raise public understanding about autism,” Hyong said.

SAP Korea has introduced a vocational program with D-Korea, a non-profit foundation offering talent training.

Selected candidates will have six weeks’ training in such areas as social skills, self-help and computer skills. The program will start at the beginning of June.

Autism Korea advisory committee member Prof. Lee Kyung-ah said the aim was to organize and put in place standards to help autistic Koreans.

To do this, he and SAP Korea would meet candidates more often to ascertain what they really needed.

Hyong said, “We know there are many people on the autism spectrum who are qualified but have not had the right opportunities.

“We hope our involvement won’t be regarded as charity work, but as part of our efforts to find diverse talents.”