• Our Schools
  • Our Homes
  • News & Events
  • Careers
  • Contact Us

Colour Mode

  • About Us
  • Our Approach
  • Who We Support
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet Our Team
    • Our Family
    • Our Vision, Our Mission and Our Promise
    • Our Quality & Impact
  • Our Approach
    • Education
    • Residential
    • Our Wellbeing Rainbow
    • Autism Strategy
    • Lived Experience Panel
  • Who We Support
    • Children and Young People
    • Local Authorities
    • Adults
    • Resources
  • Our Schools
  • Our Homes
  • News & Events
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Admissions
Admissions

Find out more about Options Autism.

Our Team

Our Quality & Impact

Our Family

Our work and how it helps.

Education

Residential

Autism Strategy ADD

Lived Experience Panel

Wellbeing Rainbow

Making a real difference.

Children and Young People

Parent and Carers

Adults

Local Authorities

Help Sheets

×

News & Events Rio and Kate Ferdinand offer support to help bridge the employment gap for people with autism

Autism
15th September 2021

Rio and Kate Ferdinand offer support to help bridge the employment gap for people with autism

Rio and Kate Ferdinand

Football legend Rio Ferdinand and his wife Kate are working with a new school in Essex to help children and young people with autism move into employment after they leave education.

Rio and Kate were invited to the opening celebration of The Tower School in Epping, which is part of Options Autism, where they spent time learning about autism, taking a tour of the classrooms, learning with the pupils and chatting with their parents and staff.

Dame Eleanor Laing, MP for Epping Forest, also attended the event along with members of Essex County Council and local business representatives.

Rio created the Rio Ferdinand Foundation in 2012 to support young people to tackle inequality and achieve their potential. He and Kate were surprised to learn how much people with autism can struggle to find employment and pledged their support.

A recent study by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that people with autism have the highest rate of unemployment of all disabled groups, with only 22% of autistic adults currently in any kind of employment.  

Research from Autistica, the UK’s national autism research charity, also finds that autistic people are more likely to be underpaid and poorly supported, with many people feeling unable to disclose that they are autistic. 

As well as setting up links between his own foundation and The Tower School, Rio and Kate have helped to connect the school with The West Ham United Foundation, which provides mentoring, education and employment opportunities to support disadvantaged or vulnerable young people.

Through their Employ Me London scheme, students have been offered work experience placements including opportunities to develop their skills at The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, an urban park in East London.

Kerry Linden, Head Teacher at The Tower School, said: “The employment gap that exists for people with disabilities, especially autism, is completely unacceptable.

“Many people with autism would like to work and have so much to offer.”

Earlier this year, the Department of Health & Social Care released their new national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021-26. The strategy sets out a bold vision for how autistic people’s lives should be better, including helping autistic people find and stay in jobs.

Kerry continued: “Our aim is simple – to get our young people ready for the next stage of their life-long journey.

“We’re committed to supporting our students to develop the skills and gain the experience they need in order to access employment opportunities and become as independent as they possibly can.

“It’s fantastic to have these links with The Rio Ferdinand Foundation and The West Ham United Foundation and we’re really grateful to Rio and Kate for helping to make that happen.

“We’re also delighted to have support from our local Tesco store around offering new routes into employment for our students through potential work experience placements in a variety of roles.”

  • Read Previous
  • Read Next
Options Autism
31st May 2022
Ask, Accept and Develop (AAD)

I am so excited to be writing the first Ask, Accept and Develop (AAD) blog. The last

News
30th April 2022
Acorn Park School, Banham, Norfolk rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted after brilliant 18 month transformation

School leaders, staff, pupils and parents at Acorn Park School in Banham, Norfolk – an independent specialist

Similar Content

How can we help?

Find out more about the range of services provided by Outcomes First Group.

Search

Contact our teams

Admissions Enquiry

Enquire Now
Information
  • Careers
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Equality and Diversity Policy
  • Gender Pay Gap
  • Tax Strategy
  • Slavery Statement
Menu
  • Home
  • Our Family
  • News & Events
  • Contact Us
Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Youtube

Options Autism

  • T: 01204 522 667
  • Email for general enquries: hello@ofgl.co.uk
  • Email for HR & Careers: recruitment@ofgl.co.uk

Part of Outcomes First Group

Group Head Office:
Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG