In our Spotlight on Business report tonight, people with autism spectrum disorder have staggeringly high unemployment rates, close to 85% according to the nonprofit Spectrum Works.

While one lawmaker is proposing a bill to give tax incentives to companies who hire individuals with autism into jobs related to STEM, that's science, technology, engineering and math.

Ted Goldberg spoke to one young man named Eric who's involved in a job training program that'll help him secure his dream job in IT.

And proponents of the bill say he's a perfect example of why this model is a win-win.

He was so glad to have him in our team.

Bergen Logistics is a busy place with packages zooming around.

It's a great place for IT minds like Eric to learn their trade.

I started off by working in the IT help desk, but then near the end I transitioned to the cloud computing environment.

Eric worked here last summer for about six weeks as part of a pilot program with Spectrum Works, a nonprofit which places neurodiverse people in jobs.

He did such an amazing job showing that he does and others have the skills to do IT positions and any position, but they just need support and opportunities.

With these interns are learning not just that they're welcome in the workplace, but that there's a real legitimate place for them.

They're making contributions.

Eric is studying for his master's degree and is on to a new internship.

What he learned at Bergen Logistics has stayed with him.

I did also learn a few other social skills like how to advocate for myself and how to work effectively as part of the team.

Under a package of bills sponsored by Senator Andrews Wicker, companies would get tax incentives for hiring neurodiverse employees for roles relating to science, technology, engineering and math, which includes IT.

So if this bill is passed, then I think it will give an IT company an incentive to hire these neurodiverse individuals and then that way they can find successful jobs in the IT industry.

Quite frankly, it's just good common sense because the return on investment is significant.

And so this is a moneymaker.

It's not why you do it, but it is success stories like Eric and others.

Anyone who has the opportunity to make a contribution to our productivity, our revenue stream, our innovation is welcome to work here.

We're really happy to be part of this legislation, which I think could make a really big impact.

One of those bills would allocate more than a million dollars for county colleges that create programs which support neurodiverse students.

It's been amazing.

We've done culinary and computer skills and just watching them succeed is huge.

And the bills that you have in will really grow these programs and really help.

We want to do more, but with less resources.

So with legislation such as this, this will help us further enhance the work that we're doing, especially within our ISTEM program.

Senators Wicker calls this a win-win.

While Eric is still studying, he gets real-world experience in a field he wants to pursue in the future.

My dream job is to become either a data analyst or cyber security specialist in a company like Bergen Logistics where I can put my skills to good use.

We are trying to ensure that we're just going to have many more people just like you, whether it's here at Bergen or at companies around New Jersey, and make sure that you get the dream job that I think is soon in your future.

According to Spectrum Works, the unemployment rate for people with autism is 85 percent, something these bills are trying to address.

In North Bergen, I'm Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

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