PRESS RELEASE December 8, 2025
A First in the Automotive Industry from Ford Otosan and the TOHUM Autism Foundation:
Supported Employment Program for Neurodivergent Individuals
Ford Otosan, in partnership with the TOHUM Autism Foundation, has launched an initiative to support the qualified employment of individuals with neurodiversities in the automotive sector. This project, a first in the automotive industry, was implemented at four Ford Otosan locations with 18 neurodiverse individuals and six job coaches.
Ford Otosan, the leading company in the Turkish automotive industry, is taking a new social investment step in the field of inclusive employment that will set an example for the sector. The Supported Employment Program, carried out in cooperation with the TOHUM Autism Foundation, was launched to support the participation of neurodivergent individuals, especially autistic individuals, in working life. The project stands as a first in Turkey and the automotive sector with its neurodiversity-focused employment model.
Placing social benefit and an inclusive working culture at the center of its sustainability approach, Ford Otosan provides employment opportunities for individuals with special needs while simultaneously contributing to the development of a qualified workforce.
The signing ceremony for the program's first employment period was held at the Vehbi Koç Foundation Cultural Center located at Ford Otosan's Kocaeli Plant. The ceremony was attended by Ford Otosan Corporate Communications and Sustainability Leader Burçak Türkeri, Ford Otosan Human Resources and Transformation Leader Osman Özdemir, TOHUM Autism Foundation President Aylin Sezgin, TOHUM Autism Foundation Employment and Career Director Elif Karabulut, TOHUM Autism Foundation Corporate Communications and Resource Development Director Nihan Güney, and İŞKUR representative XXX.
“As Ford Otosan, we aim to scale this neurodiversity-based employment model and initiate a lasting transformation in the business world.”
Ford Otosan Corporate Communications and Sustainability Leader Burçak Türkeri said the following about the project: “Ford Otosan’s sustainability approach prioritizes creating value for people and society, and we focus on inclusion and equal opportunities in our social investments. This program, which we implemented with the TOHUM Autism Foundation, represents the first step toward the qualified employment of neurodivergent individuals in the automotive sector. Our goal is to scale this model and initiate a lasting transformation in our sector and the business world.”
TOHUM Autism Foundation President Aylin Sezgin, on the other hand, “This study we are carrying out with Ford Otosan is a pioneering practice in our country regarding the participation of neurodivergent individuals in working life. While the Supported Employment Model ensures that autistic individuals are placed in roles suited to their strengths, it also makes a significant contribution to the development of inclusive processes in workplaces. The project being supported by grants provided within the scope of İŞKUR's Supported Employment Program both creates an incentive mechanism for employers and establishes a sustainable model that can be applied to different sectors. We believe that this approach will be an example that creates value for both individuals and the business world in the long term, pioneering the spread of inclusive employment.”
With this collaboration, Ford Otosan continues to pioneer its sector not only in production and technology, but also in social inclusion. The company aims to strengthen a culture that supports participation and social solidarity in the business world by expanding its neurodiversity-based employment model.
In the first phase of the project, a total of six job coaches for people with disabilities and 18 neurodivergent individuals will be employed at Ford Otosan's Gölcük Plant, Yeniköy Plant, Eskişehir Plant, and Sancaktepe R&D Center. The integration and development processes of the individuals who start working within the scope of the project will be supported by the job coaches assigned to the project. Following the project period, long-term employment will be provided to the candidates.
Ford Otosan completed its application for the first term of the project, which opened for applications as of June 2025 with the TOHUM Autism Foundation. The job coaches who will take part in the project successfully completed their training at the TOHUM Autism Foundation School.
Supported Employment Model in Turkey is being disseminated with İŞKUR support
Supported Employment offers a systematic and sustainable employment model in working life that is aligned with the needs of individuals with special needs. This model aims to prepare individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and intellectual and emotional disabilities for working life, to support their workplace adaptation processes through professional job coaches, and to maintain employment in the long term. Supported Employment both contributes to employers developing an inclusive work culture and enables individuals to build a productive, independent life where they can stand on their own two feet. Projects offered within this scope are considered an important step toward strengthening equal opportunity and social inclusion in Turkey's working life.