John Vaccaro, President, Bettaway Supply Chain Services: Providing Long-term Career Opportunities for Adults with Autism
The Big Idea:
● Through a partnership with We Make – Autism at Work (We Make) Bettaway Supply Chain Services is entering its third year of providing job training and opportunities for meaningful, sustainable careers to more than150 families in the autism and intellectual developmental disability communities.
● The We Make-supported employees exceeded productivity goals while achieving over 99 percent accuracy, fulfilling tens of thousands of cases of beverages. 97% of program graduates have been retained by Bettaway as employees!
Background:
● Bettaway Supply Chain Services is a family-owned supply chain services company based in South Plainfield that provides freight trucking, warehousing, inventory management, product packing order fulfillment and pallet supply, and logistics management services for beverage and consumer products companies throughout New Jersey and the northeast.
● Bettaway partners with We Make to design structured hiring, training, and development programs that leverage the unique skills and capabilities of neurodiverse individuals to help them create thriving careers.
● Around 1 in 36 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). When they turn 21, many of the support services they relied on during childhood disappear. This leaves them and their families struggling to navigate adulthood, particularly in finding employment. In fact, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is more than two times the rate of people without disabilities.
● The program’s success highlights the value of inclusive hiring practices in boosting productivity while fostering economic growth. As a straightforward business operation, the program delivered on all counts for Bettaway. At the same time, the Bettaway team’s commitment to social equity, workforce development and vocational immersion for autistic adults has been a huge benefit to Middlesex County communities.
Fun Fact:
Bettaway encourages other businesses to adopt similar programs, which contribute to U.S. leadership in technology, workforce development, and global competitiveness.
Their Take:
John Vaccaro
“We’re incredibly proud of the success we’ve seen through our partnership with We Make – Autism at Work. This partnership exemplifies how a focused program with the right resources can truly transform lives. By providing a supportive environment, we are empowering adults with autism to not only succeed in their roles but also to build meaningful, long-term careers.”
- John Vaccaro, President, Bettaway Supply Chain Services
