Barriers and enablers shaping autistic college students' pathways into advanced manufacturing careers

Autistic college students are strongly represented in STEM disciplines, yet continue to experience disproportionately poor employment outcomes after graduation. This study explores their lived experiences navigating educational and career pathways into advanced manufacturing, a high-demand sector facing persistent workforce shortages and substantial public investment, yet largely absent from autism and employment scholarship to date.

Sixteen autistic STEM undergraduates (current or previous) from across the US participated in three 90-minute focus groups conducted via Zoom. Sessions examined students' career aspirations, job search experiences, perceived barriers, and support needs, and were analysed using thematic analysis to identify enablers and systemic barriers shaping participants' transitions from education to industry.

Participants demonstrated proactive engagement in developing technical skills through coursework, self-directed learning, and hands-on experiences. However, they encountered opaque hiring processes, unclear interview expectations, limited access to prior industry experience, workplace sensory challenges, and fragmented institutional support, often relying on informal networks and AI-based tools to compensate. Participants emphasized inclusive, sensory-aware learning environments, structured career preparation, and autism-informed mentorship as critical bridges between academic training and workforce expectations.

Employment disparities reflect systemic misalignment rather than individual deficits, underscoring the need to redesign education-to-work pathways that recognize and leverage autistic strengths.