For most people, work is a very important part of their lives. Jobs provide self-esteem, income and purpose.
Imagine what it would be like to have few employment choices, limited work experience and disabilities that make prospective employers unsure of your capabilities. Partnerships with Industry, or PWI, is all about overcoming these obstacles and bringing together businesses and capable workers.
The nonprofit organization provides job training and placement services for adults with developmental disabilities, such as mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy and epilepsy, who want to work in the community.
“Seventy-five percent of adults with developmental disabilities don't work, and the vast majority can work and want to work,” said Mark Berger, president and CEO of PWI. “People with disabilities are outstanding workers and are committed to their jobs. Our directly placed clients average over five years in their positions.”
The Carlsbad Business Journal sat down with Berger to talk more about the organization's work to enhance lives through jobs.
CBJ: When was the nonprofit founded and what was the inspiration behind it?
Berger: PWI was founded in 1985 in the North County area. Our founders saw the need to find job opportunities in the community for people with developmental disabilities.
CBJ: What is the organization's mission?
Berger: Our business is making taxpayers and constructive citizens through job training, placement and support. We create win-win partnerships for people with disabilities and local employers.
CBJ: What services do you offer?
Berger: PWI offers outsourcing services for local businesses, such as product fulfillment, assembly, collating and etc. Our clients with disabilities provide cost-effective, timely and quality controlled solutions. Many businesses come to us after taking their assembly work overseas and finding that the failure rates are very costly. We also offer an employee-leasing program as a cost-savings solution where we provide a small team of workers, pay is based on productivity and we provide workers' comp and liability insurance. We also directly refer and place workers with area businesses and government. We focus on our clients' abilities, not their disabilities. The bulk of our budget is provided by the state through the Regional Center for the Developmentally Disabled and the Department of Rehabilitation.
CBJ: What are some of the employers PWI works with?
Berger: Hunter Industries, Hoehn Mercedes, Callaway Golf, the city of Vista, the city of Encinitas, Genentech and Timely Medical are some of our employers in the North County. We also work with Qualcomm, Sea World, Vons and Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher.
CBJ: How many people does your organization assist?
Berger: Each day, we support more than 550 people with disabilities by making their vocational aspirations come true. Since 1985, we have worked with more than 11,000 people with developmental or other disabilities to prepare them for jobs in the community. PWI works with more than 200 businesses annually.
CBJ: What is unique about PWI?
Berger: We are the only local provider offering both vocational assessment and a full range of vocational training, placement and support. We serve people with developmental and other disabilities, as well as those needing specialized assistance in placement.
CBJ: How do you measure success?
Berger: One job placement, or accurately completed project, at a time. Through our internally developed outcomes management system, we are able to track our clients' success in jobs, as well as our business partners' satisfaction. We are evaluated by CARF, an international standards body, and have received its highest level of accreditation for the past six consecutive, multi-year evaluation cycles.
CBJ: What needs does the organization have?
Berger: PWI seeks referrals for job placements and assembly work. We also are seeking sponsors for our annual fundraising luncheon in November.
CBJ: What do you see for the future of PWI?
Berger: Expanding our product fulfillment services and more assembly work. We also plan to more effectively market our employee leasing programs to more businesses. The federal economic stimulus package has provided funding for us to offer our full range of vocational services to people with other disabilities (physical, visual, auditory) and other people seeking special assistance in job placement.
CBJ: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Berger: We are hosting our annual Building Partnerships for Success fundraising luncheon from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Mission Valley Hilton. We also are happy to host tours of our Oceanside office. Contact Julia Savoy, our North County director.

Partnerships with Industry:
4059 Oceanside Blvd., Ste. B, Oceanside
(760) 941-7534
www.pwiworks.org