California’s Career Launchpad Program Provides High School Students with Disabilities a Springboard to Competitive Employment Opportunities and the Ability to Excel and Thrive in The Workplace
Los Angeles– July 23, 2025 – The Institute for Workplace Skills & Innovation (IWSI) America in partnership with the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), today announced the Career Launchpad, a program designed to provide job readiness skills and career training opportunities to high school juniors and seniors with disabilities.
Started as a pilot program in 2023, Career Launchpad has now solidified its services to include a more comprehensive range of pre-employment transition services tailored to meet the needs of students as they navigate and explore various industries and professions.
“The Career Launchpad program represents a critical opportunity for students with disabilities in California to gain the skills, knowledge, and real-world experience they need to succeed in their future careers,” said Nicholas Wyman, CEO, IWSI America. “Our partnership with DOR ensures that students with disabilities, are supported with the resources they need to transition from high school into the workforce with confidence and competence.”
“We are excited to offer this program in collaboration with IWSI America to ensure students with disabilities, have the resources and abilities they need to explore whatever professional interests they may have in an inclusive and supportive environment,” said DOR Director Kim Rutledge. “This type of robust training and development opportunity not only puts students on a pathway to career success but also greater independence and
self-sufficiency.”
The Career Launchpad initiative is part of IWSI America and the DOR’s ongoing commitment to improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities, and to help bridge the gap between education and career opportunities. The program’s outreach efforts extend to justice involved youth and youth in the foster care system with a range of services that include:
Job Exploration Counselling: Tailored career advice, exploring in-demand occupations and job market trends.
Work-Based Learning Experiences: Opportunities for students to visit employer sites and engage in real-world work experiences.
Post-Secondary Counselling: Guidance on educational programs, including college, vocational training, apprenticeships, and more.
Workplace Readiness Training: Essential skills, including financial literacy, resume building, job application and networking techniques, and professional workplace behaviours.
Self-Advocacy Training: Empowering students to communicate and assert their rights in both educational and workplace settings.
IWSI America will deliver Career Launchpad services in a variety of cities in
Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, and San Bernardino counties. The program will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. both online and in-person. To learn more, visit the program website at www.careerlaunchpad.org. To learn more about the DOR, visit www.dor.ca.gov.
About IWSI America
The Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation (IWSI) America is a work development organization that empowers enterprising businesses, nonprofits and government agencies by unlocking the full potential of our most prized assets: people.
For more than two decades IWSI America has worked with individual employers as well as states and localities to establish and help build modern, sustainable apprenticeship programs. IWSI also serves as advisor on the design and implementation of such new programs to assist non-profit and for-profit entities in growing pipelines of talent to meet the needs of a dynamic workforce in a rapidly changing work environment. Learn more at https://www.iwsiamerica.org/
Press Contact:
Alex Rush
Rosen Group (on behalf of IWSI America)
arush@rosengrouppr.com
