NEXT CONNECTS

Q: Who can be an established professional?

NEXT is seeking professionals with a variety of expertise, from animation to engineering to journalism, and more, to act as co-mentors to aspiring professionals interested in similar fields.

Q: Who can be an aspiring professional/college student?

If you are on the spectrum and attending college or looking for a job, you would be the perfect candidate for the aspiring professional co-mentorship role.

Q: What is the time commitment?

We ask our co-mentors to commit to at least nine virtual meetings within three months, based on a mutually agreed to schedule. At the end of your guided sessions, you can discuss extending the relationship, at a less frequent cadence.

Q: How will I be matched with my co-mentor?

You will be matched with your co-mentor based on your completed profile on the NEXT CONNECTS system (Chronus) and availability. There is a chance you may not be matched immediately if there is not a current co-mentor that matches your profile, interests, and goals.

Meaningful Mentorship.
Mutual Growth.

NEXT CONNECTS is a bi-directional mentorship program that pairs aspiring professionals with autism with established professionals in their fields of interest.

Through co-mentorship, training, and practical resources, the program empowers autistic job seekers while helping businesses build more inclusive, effective workplaces.

MENTORSHIP PARTICIPANTS

COMPANIES REPRESENTED

UNIVERSITIES REPRESENTED

Ready to Connect?

ASPIRING PROFESSIONALS
You're neurodivergent, talented, and ready to get to work. Whether you're a college student wrapping up a degree or on the hunt for your first role, NEXT CONNECTS gives you the real-world insight, connections, and confidence to land the job.

ESTABLISHED PROFESSIONALS
You've got the experience and the insight. Now put it to work. Whether you're neurodivergent or neurotypical, if you're ready to share career wisdom, support an autistic professional's journey, and help make your industry more inclusive, we want you in this program.

What's Included

Nine eLearning lessons on critical neurodiversity in the workplace topics
Pre-designed agendas to guide your discussions
Self-scheduled mentorship sessions
Actionable resources for established professionals to build inclusive workplaces
Actionable resources for aspiring professionals to secure meaningful employment

Access Free Resources to Support Your Career Goals

A Connected Curriculum

13 Topics Built for the Real World: Every co-mentor pair works with the same evidence-informed curriculum, so conversations are connected and meaningful.