Scots with autism are to be thrown a jobs lifeline with the launch of a new social enterprise business.

Specialisterne Scotland is the first venture of its kind in the UK and was given a major boost when Cabinet Secretary John Swinney unveiled a £700,000 cash injection at the business’s new Glasgow HQ in Nelson Mandela Place.

Mr Swinney said: “The Scottish Government recognises the crucial contribution social enterprises make to our economy.

“This enterprising venture will create jobs, provide skills development and training opportunities for people who may otherwise find it difficult to secure employment.”

Specialisterne – Danish for “the specialists” – was set up six years ago in Denmark by Thorkil Sonne after his son was diagnosed with autism. The firm has a turnover of £1.5million and employs more than 50 sufferers who provide IT services around the globe.

The Glasgow unit will also recruit 50 staff to provide highly skilled software testing services to leading companies. The first batch of 12 autistic trainees will be recruited within the next six months.

The new business, which has also benefited from £407,000 from the Big Lottery and £30,000 from Glasgow City Council, is part of Govan-based Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEiS). It too is a social enterprise which helps communities and people in disadvantaged areas to realise their potential.

CEiS chief executive Gerry Higgins said: “We know from the experience that Specialisterne has the potential to change lives for the better by providing mainstream employment at the market rate for people with autism.

“The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of CEiS, will commence commercial testing in early 2011. By 2015 we expect to employ a total of 61 people and have a projected turnover of £1.6 million.”

He also pledged that every penny in profit would be used to fund more jobs for people with autism.

Mr Sonne backs the Glasgow initiative - the first Specialisterne model to be launched outside Denmark – and welcomed the involvement of a number of organisations including CEiS.

He added: “The opening of Specialisterne Scotland sets the scene for the first international Specialisterne operation with potential to become a showcase not just for Scotland and the UK – but for the whole world in our ambition to create one million jobs for autistic people globally.”