A local café and a vegetarian food company offered internships to 20 autistic youths on Tuesday in a charity project founded by a city temple.

A signing ceremony for the "Starry Dessert" project was held at the Jade Buddha Temple in Putuo to provide more employment opportunities for autistic individuals.

The project, initiated by the temple's Shanghai Juequn Cultural & Educational Foundation, has already helped 32 autistic youths secure internships. They've gained over 20,000 hours of work experience.

In the latest development, 20 youths who passed their assessments were offered internship contracts with the La Fonte café and bakery and Shanghai Yuezhi Vegetarian Food Co.

They've received skills training started by the foundation in March 2021. Graduates, with certificates from the Shanghai Modern Food Vocational Skills Training Center, are eligible for jobs in local food companies and restaurants.

The products from these internships are sold under the "Starry Dessert" brand, with some profits supporting autistic groups.

To further raise awareness of autism, the foundation produced a short film titled "Hope in 2049," which won an award at the Shanghai Charity Short Film Festival. The film's premiere was held at the event on Tuesday.