A partnership between the SME Education Foundation and Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF) is helping enrich the manufacturing talent pipeline by providing scholarships to neurodiverse students. The new scholarship program — called the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation Scholarships for Neurodiverse Students — was launched in April 2025.

“I think this is really an opportunity for us to expand our notion for what people who are neurodiverse can do, and I’m really excited about that,” says Tara Havlicek, program manager for grants management, disability, inclusion and volunteer engagement at MEAF — the corporate foundation for the Mitsubishi Electric U.S. Group companies, which manufacture heating and air conditioning equipment, factory automation equipment and spiral escalators, among other products.

“As a foundation, we’re focused on supporting the inclusion of people with disabilities — specifically on how to transition youth with disabilities from school to work,” says Havlicek.

“It started off with accessible technology, and then we did after-school programming, but since about 2011, we’ve really been focused on this transition state,” she says. “Like our board said, it’s wonderful if we can make sure kids have playgrounds, but at the end of the day, if they can’t be independent, if they can’t have a job and a career, then we’re not doing the best that we can.”

Established in 1990 shortly after the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, MEAF surveyed its board and employees about their priorities for the foundation — and children and disabilities rose to the top.

As part of its mission, MEAF has supported programs such as the Uniquely Abled Project, which started at the College of the Canyons in California. The project’s focus is training young adults with autism to work in CNC machining and robotics, and in 2022 MEAF donated $200,000 to help replicate the program across the country.

MEAF also funds a program with Aspiritech to train young adults with autism for roles in quality assurance and software testing.

Havlicek has advice for educators and industry leaders who are trying to provide more inclusive pathways into manufacturing careers.

“For educators, I would say it’s really about raising awareness and exposure to the manufacturing industry. Back when I did my first Disability Mentoring Day, the teacher brought in a group of 18- and 19-year-old students with disabilities, and they said this was the first time they had ever set foot in a workplace. So if you can, bring kids with disabilities in so they can see what the different career opportunities are in manufacturing, and dispel myths about what manufacturing looks like.”

As for industry leaders, she suggests they make accommodations for persons with disabilities. “Accommodation isn’t a bad word,” she says. “Most of them cost little to nothing and they have benefits across the board.” For example, she says adding pictures to work instructions might serve as an accommodation for a neurodiverse person, but it will also help all new hires as they are learning to do their jobs.

“Our main goal is really a mindset shift,” notes Havlicek. “I think it’s really important for people to understand that when you hire somebody with a disability, it’s not charity — it’s a benefit both for that employee and the employer.”

Regarding MEAF’s new scholarship program with the SME Education Foundation, she says, “I’m grateful that the SME Education Foundation wants to pursue this avenue. We’re excited for the partnership and proud to be supporting the scholarships for neurodiverse students.”