A Calgary business owner is urging other leaders who are looking to hire to look at those often “overlooked.”
Garth Johnson founded Meticulon, a non-profit consulting business helping train and connect people living with autism with various employers back in 2013. As he approaches a decade in business, he’s continuing his push for inclusive hiring.
“The challenge is real, but the productivity is absolutely there,” he said. “The right person in the right job comes to the right business outcome.”
He told Global News by overlooking those with “diverse abilities”, businesses have been missing out for years on skilled, loyal workers.
“One of the challenges with disability employment has been (that) for 50 to 60 years people do it to do good, not to find a good person to do a good job,” he said.
“We create this union between a person with great skills and a business who has a real need.”
Johnson certainly knows the challenges these applicants face.
His son Teague was born extremely premature and was mostly non-verbal for the first five years of his life. He has always struggled with confidence, anxiety and speaking to other people. He also has several sensory issues.
But, the 22-year-old completed Meticulon’s program and is now helping run his very own business AbilityWrx.
“I wanted my own job,” he told Global News. “And make money.”
Teague has made money — quite a bit of it — selling various products that he makes himself.
He’s been selling his “FireWrx” fire starters to campers in Saskatchewan and has now launched two other businesses: a t-shirt venture called “AbiliTee” and a reusable grocery bag venture called “CarryWrx”.
Teague may be living with autism spectrum disorder, but his family said that does not define him.
His new label: entrepreneur.
“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to do stuff like this,” Teague said. “I’m not just sitting around, not doing anything. At least I’m doing something that I like doing.”
Mom Kathryn Johnson has been by his side every step of the way and is amazed at how far he’s evolved since he started his ventures.
“It was just to give him something to do and then it turned into this thing where he just felt such pride and purpose,” she said.
“It means everything. Seeing the day-to-day of him having confidence, and getting up and having a thing that he wants to do — yeah, it’s huge.”
Meticulon’s success has grown as well. Eighty-five participants have gone through the program over the past year and 35 of them have jobs. It has now expanded to other cities in other provinces.
Johnson said the program not only helps train people for a job — but also for life.
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