Candidates

Level It Up uses a comprehensive training and assessment process to support autistic job seekers as they prepare for employment in their chosen careers.

This process includes:

Understanding your personality traits, learning and communication styles and how autism impacts your life;
communication and learning styles;
disclosure and disclosure strategies and your right to accommodation;
assessing a series of employability skills and aptitudes;
resume and cover letter reviews;
mock job interviews;
and more…

To apply, fill in the online application form and we will be in touch to gather additional information and determine if we are the right fit for you.

Fill out the application

“I received very useful instructions regarding work etiquette, adjusting resumes, cover letter writing and job interviews.”

Ryan, Level It Up participant

“Level It Up helped me refine the skills I already had in order to access employment better.”

Violet, Level It Up Candidate

Get To Know Us

Level IT Up candidates who successfully complete the training/assessment program can continue to work with Level It Up staff as they search for fulfilling and appropriate employment. We provide employers with useful background knowledge about the autism spectrum, specific information about their prospective employee, as well as a point of contact who can provide ongoing support as needed.

Likewise, our job seekers moving into the workforce have ongoing access to support through Level It Up as they onboard and develop working relationships with their colleagues and supervisor.

Fill out the application

Qualifications:

We are looking for adults diagnosed with or identifying as being on the Autism Spectrum (level 1), having Asperger Syndrome or “high functioning” ASD. You must be 21 y of age or older with training/education in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts or Math. We need you to be fluent in English, be self-motivated, and be willing to work with us throughout the assessment/training and employment process.

Some of the specific work related skills we will be assessing include:

Punctuality
Attention to detail
Work ethic
Accuracy
Proficiency

Other areas of interest include:

Your understanding of ASD
Self-care and Hygiene
Mindfulness and Temperament
Your Social Network and Relationships

Success Stories

Damon

In 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, Damon was laid off from his job at a call centre after 5 y of full time employment with glowing performance reviews. This came as quite a blow to his self-confidence and required major changes in his work/life schedule and balance. While Damon qualified for the Canadian…

FAQs

The Level IT Up social enterprise concept came out of similar ventures already hard at work in Canada and around the world. Using and adapting business frameworks from Meticulon in Calgary, Mindshift, in Fargo, and many others, an initial business plan for Level IT Up was developed and a feasibility study completed.

With a committed board of directors and the support of many local businesses in Winnipeg’s information and communications technology sector, the model is being tested and the future looks bright.

In time, Level IT Up will further evolve to support a wider range of individuals with neurodevelopmental difference in additional business sectors including, accounting, engineering, science and technology, etc. where their unique advantages (attention to detail, intense focus, excellent rote memory, pattern recognition, etc.) can be used to their greatest advantage.

Contact President Anne Kresta or any one of our board members to learn more about our business concept and how it might benefit you or someone you know.

The Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA) is a landmark piece of legislation that became law in 2013. It commits to removing barriers to accessibility in the areas of customer service, employment, transportation, information and communication, and the built environment. Standards are being developed to support this legislation with increased public awareness and knowledge of how to support and encourage diversity in all aspects of community life. Level IT Up will serve as a resource for employers to learn how to better accommodate neurodiversity and will also serve as a source of new hires as these businesses diversify their workforces. Learn more +

“A social enterprise is a business owned by nonprofit organizations, that is directly involved in the production and/or selling of goods and services for the blended purpose of generating income and achieving social, cultural and/or environmental aims.”

A social enterprise is a business model that allows an organization to earn revenue for its services while maintaining its non-profit status. This revenue is used to pay our consultants competitive wages, pay our job coaches and pay other staff involved in the enterprise. Some of the revenue is also used to offset the costs of assessment and training processes when screening our consultants for their suitability in working with us. Other revenue sources used to offset these initial costs include donations, grants and fundraising.

Our social purpose is the increased independence and employment of adults with ASD in Winnipeg.

First off, the post-secondary learning and training environment may be challenging for many on the spectrum who are unaware of or do not connect with appropriate student accessibility services and supports to help them as they move through and complete their program. They often miss out on co-op, practicum and work-integrated learning experiences due to a range of issues and may not be aware of on campus career development services.

Many individuals with autism spectrum also struggle with the job recruitment process: The language used in job ads, coupled with the long list of criteria used to describe the ideal job candidate can be intimidating for those who strive for perfection and checking off all of the boxes. In many cases, if you have at least 70% of the listed criteria, you can consider yourself a suitable applicant.

The job interview process itself may be more of a social engagement exercise versus a review of one’s suitability for a given role and responsibilities. Practice can help, but there is a growing need for recruiters and employers to adopt more appropriate practices to search for and find job candidates who will be a better fit for their workforce needs.

The Level IT Up social enterprise concept came out of similar ventures already hard at work in Canada and around the world. Using and adapting business frameworks from Meticulon in Calgary, Mindshift, in Fargo, and many others, an initial business plan for Level It Up was developed and a feasibility study completed.
With a committed board of directors and the support of many local businesses in Winnipeg’s information and communications technology sector, Level It Up took flight in 2018.

Over the years, Level IT Up has evolved to support a wider range of autistic job seekers individuals in additional business sectors including, accounting, engineering, science and technology, education, etc. where their unique advantages (attention to detail, intense focus, excellent rote memory, pattern recognition, etc.) can be used to greatest advantage – both for the job seeker and their future employer.