Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Andrew Zwicker offers tax credits for hiring in STEM roles
New legislation is aiming to create more success stories in the world of “neurodiverse” workers, such as those on the autism spectrum or whose brains process atypically.
New legislation is aiming to create more success stories in the world of “neurodiverse” workers, such as those on the autism spectrum or whose brains process atypically.
They are stories like that of Erik, a former intern with Bergen Logistics who is now finishing his master’s degree. He said his position at Bergen Logistics gave him a great head start on his career path towards IT.
“I did also learn a few other social skills, like how to advocate for myself and how to work effectively as part of a team,” he said.
“Quite frankly, it’s just good common sense because the return on investment is significant,” said state Sen. Andrew Zwicker (D-Mercer), the bill’s sponsor. “This is a moneymaker. That’s not why you do it, but it is success stories like Erik and others.”
Zwicker’s bills would offer a $7,000 tax incentive for companies like Bergen Logistics that hire “neurodiverse” employees, and appropriate nearly $1.5 million more for county colleges to create programs catering to such students.
“We’ve done culinary and computer skills, and just watching them succeed is huge,” said Joanie Coffaro, vice president for External Affairs, Communication and Advancement at Middlesex College.
“If this bill is passed, then I think I’ll give an IT company an incentive to hire these neurodiverse individuals, and then that way they can find successful jobs in the IT industry,” said Erik.
Link to article