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Four students walking by Durham riverside

Supporting neurodiverse young adults to self-employment

Self-employment is a career path that aligns well with the strengths of neurodiverse young adults. However, many of these young adults struggle to transition into self-employment after completing their education due to a lack of awareness, financial stability, support, and confidence. As a result, many transition into conventional employment, only to face negative experiences that fail to accommodate their needs and leverage their unique traits.

Educational providers are not typically tailored to setting up young adults for self-employment. Career advice is strongly focused on traditional employment pathways. Four practitioners and two Durham researchers are now working on developing solutions that aim to support these neurodiverse young adults early in their careers if they want to build sustainable careers as entrepreneurs.

Durham Researchers

Professor Pablo Munoz 

Dr Louise Gascoine 

Entrepreneurs in Residence

James Eves – Workpirates & Inspiration Northhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jameseves/ 

Holly Knight – Celebrate Differencehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-knight/ 

Graham Martin – Celebrate Differencehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-martin-2b6702246/ 

Jase Smith – Zero78training & MindYourBusinesshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jase-smith-zero78training/