Murphy becomes first UK construction firm to join new autism charter  

Contractor J Murphy & Sons has become the first UK construction firm to join the Employ Autism programme after signing a new autism charter.  

Through the Employ Autism programme, Murphy will provide paid internships to autistic candidates, with training provided by charity Ambitious about Autism. 

Employ Autism, developed by Ambitious about Autism, aims to support autistic people into full-time employment and enable workplaces to be neurodiverse. 

Working in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions, Ambitious about Autism has created the Covenant for Employers to encourage businesses to commit to creating employment opportunities for people with autism.  

Dawn Moore, group people and communications director at Murphy, said: “We are proud to be the first construction company in the UK to sign the autism charter and join the Employ Autism programme.  

“Murphy is committed to creating a great place to work where our people feel secure and comfortable to be themselves – providing opportunities to those who are traditionally underrepresented in our industry and supporting them in their career progression is a key part of this.   

“We look forward to working with Ambitious about Autism and other partners in the Employ Autism network to achieve our common goal of increasing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.” 

Jolanta Lasota, chief executive of Ambitious about Autism, added: “With only 29% of autistic people in any form of employment, it is vital that businesses across the UK commit to creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces and we hope other employers will join Murphy in doing so.  

“We look forward to working with them to achieve our goal of helping autistic young people realise their ambitions.”