Job Club History

Facilitated by Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), Launch Pad Job Club was created in 2001 in response to the mass layoffs associated with the Dot.Com Bust of the late 90s. Central Texas had never previously experienced such a dramatic economic downturn. TWC career coach and trainer Kathy Lansford was tasked by her boss to create a job club to support these displaced tech workers. Five people attended the first meeting of the club, held at the Austin Community College (ACC) administrative building in Austin near today’s ACC Highland campus.
 
In 2005, Launch Pad earned its nonprofit status and moved out from under the auspices of TWC and has since grown into the largest networking and support group for job seekers in Central Texas having seen over 18,000 members attend the weekly meeting since 2001.There are now several job clubs and similar programs in Central Texas; however, Launch Pad Job Club was the first!