Goodwill of Southern Nevada Recognized as a Best of Las Vegas Gold Winner for Best Special Needs Program

Nonprofit receives top award for best special needs program offerings in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Dec. 13, 2021) – Goodwill of Southern Nevada (Goodwill®) has been recognized as a Las Vegas Review-Journal Best of Las Vegas Gold Winner for Best Special Needs Program. Goodwill currently offers three special needs programs to the Las Vegas community: Community Based Training, Skills to Enable Personal Success, and Student Work Experience Program. All three programs are designed to assist local people with disabilities find meaningful employment in our community.

“Goodwill is not only honored to be recognized as a Best of Las Vegas Gold Winner, but we are especially proud to be recognized for the impact of our special needs programs,” said Goodwill President and CEO Rick Neal. “Helping people living with disabilities, as well as others facing barriers to employment, experience the dignity of a job is 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 meaningful opportunities. Like all Goodwill mission services, our special needs programs demonstrate Goodwill’s thought leadership when it comes to resources and services that help build brighter futures and better our community.”

Goodwill’s Community Based Training (CBT) Program assesses the specific work skills that a participant with disabilities can bring to competitive employment opportunities. CBT uses real work environments to offer paid training and assessment in retail, janitorial, and warehouse environments. Goodwill’s Skills to Enable Personal Success (STEPS) program is designed for individuals with disabilities seeking supported employment in the community. STEPS also uses real work environments to measure job readiness and offers paid training and assessment in the areas of retail and janitorial. Goodwill’s Student Work Experience Program (SWEP) helps transitioning high school students with disabilities prepare to enter the workforce by providing hands-on work experience and the opportunity to develop functional and interpersonal skills.

More than 160,000 workers with disabilities reached out to Goodwill member organizations nationwide for assistance in 2020. Goodwill recognizes these individuals as dependable and valuable contributors to Southern Nevada’s workforce, and helping them reach their full potential is core to Goodwill’s mission to reduce the impact of poverty on our community by helping Southern Nevadans obtain local employment and upward mobility.

For more information on Goodwill mission and career services, visit GoodwillVegas.org/programs, or to make a tax-deductible contribution to support these programs, text CAREERS to 41444.