Goodwill of Southern Nevada (Goodwill®) has been recognized as a Best of Las Vegas gold medal winner for best special needs program. Goodwill currently offers three special needs programs to the Las Vegas community including Community Based Training (CBT), Skills to Enable Personal Success (STEPS) and Student Work Experience Program (SWEP). All three disability programs are designed to assist those with disabilities in the local community find employment.
“Goodwill is honored to be recognized as a Best of Las Vegas winner and we are especially proud to have won in the category of best special needs program.” said Richard “Rick” D. Neal Jr., president and CEO of Goodwill of Southern Nevada. “Helping people living with disabilities find employment remains at the heart of Goodwill’s mission. Our special needs programs aim to bridge the gap in employment for those with disabilities by supporting and equipping them with specialized skills and opportunities. We are elated to have this recognition and will continue to remain a thought leader when it comes to resources and services that help better our community.”
Goodwill’s Community Based Training (CBT) Program assesses the specific work skills that a participant with disabilities possesses and is catered towards those who are seeking competitive employment in the community. CBT uses real work environments to offer paid training and assessment in the areas of retail, janitorial, warehouse and e-recycling. Similarly, Goodwill’s Skills to Enable Personal Success (STEPS) program also uses real work environments to assess job readiness. This program helps individuals with disabilities who are seeking supported employment in the community and offers paid training and assessment in the areas of retail and janitorial. Finally, Goodwill also offers a special needs program catered towards students with disabilities, which aims to prepare them as they graduate high school and enter the workforce. The Student Work Experience Program (SWEP) provides students with disabilities real work experience and the opportunity to gain job skills.
More than 160,000 workers with disabilities reached out to Goodwill for assistance in 2020. Goodwill recognizes workers with disabilities as a dependable and valuable workforce and honors their contributions by creating community-based employment and offering programs that equip and support people with disabilities. For more information on Goodwill mission and career services, visit GoodwillVegas.org/programs