History of Staffing Innovation
“At the time I was getting the employment business off the ground, I was also studying thermodynamics and thought a name that evoked motion would be good. Hence the title Career Blazers. ”
Adele Lewis, founder of Career Blazers, 1949
When Adele Lewis of Yonkers New York founded the Career Blazers employment agency in 1949, her intention was to return, someday, to her first love—chemistry. The employment business was a temporary thing, reasoned the young chemical engineer who worked on the Manhattan (nuclear) Project in the early 1940s. But as the business prospered and grew—becoming one of the first to specialize in the placement of college graduates into non-secretarial, career-oriented positions—and the list of clients and jobseekers grew, science as it related to business, cropped up repeatedly over the years.
In 2024, Career Blazers celebrates its 75th anniversary. For seven decades, the company has been an innovator and leader in the staffing industry. And it is still owned and run by a woman.
Today, we bring to reality the best client and candidate experiences knowing that our depth of understanding and our comprehensive experience in placement provide unsurpassed value to our clients and candidates. Thank you for being a Career Blazer, and part of our history.
A JOURNEY THROUGH CHANGE
1950
1949
Careers Blazers Agency founded by Adele Lewis, a young chemical engineer who worked on the Manhattan Project in the early 40s. “At the time I was getting the employment business off the ground, I was also studying thermodynamics and thought a name that evolved motion would be good,” she said.
1952
Universal Copyright Convention adopted at Geneva.
Career Blazers opened Publishing Division, specializing in publishing industry placements.
1960
1962
The Manpower Development and Training Act creates the first major federal job training program. Less than a year later, the Manpower Administration is created to prepare people for the growing high-tech industries.
1963
Equal Pay Act (EPA) passes in 1963, mandating that men and women engaged in the same work earn the same pay, including salaries, incentives, and benefits.
From College to Career authored by Adele Lewis & Nancy Schuman, published by Bobbs-Merrill Co., is the first of many books written for job seekers by the professionals at Career Blazers.
1964
Civil Rights Act signed into law, making it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of race.
1965
Career Blazers becomes first agency in America to place Attorneys.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is established to enforce the Civil Rights Act.
From Kitchen to Career, written by Adele Lewis, published by Bobbs-Merrill Company.
1966
The American Staffing Association begins as the Institute of Temporary Services. It went through several names changes over the years (National Association of Temporary Services – 1970, National Association of Temporary and Staffing Services – 1994, American Staffing Association – 1999).
1968
Career Blazers Temporary Personnel founded; services expanded to include temporary employees.
How to Write Better Resumes, written by Adele Lewis, is published by Barron’s Educational Series. One of the first books ever written on resume writing, it has been reprinted 5 times and more than half a million job seekers have turned to this guide to write better resumes
1970
1970
The Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) passed to prevent workers from being killed or otherwise harmed at work.
1971
To aid Vietnam-era veterans, OSHA leads an expansion of employment and training programs under the Emergency Employment Act of 1971.
1974
Career Blazers Spokeswoman Division opened, specializing in product demonstration for advertising & trade shows.
1975
Career Blazers Law Services Division is the first to place temporary paralegals.
Founder of Career Blazers, Adele Lewis, retires.
Bill Lewis named President of Career Blazers.
1980
1980
Women account for 52% of the American labor workforce.
Career Blazers Learning Center founded to provide individuals with workplace skills, and to ensure that corporations had access to skilled personnel and staff skills training.
1981
The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service is established to provide job training and other employment services to Vets.
Career Blazers named “One of the Nation’s Fastest Growing Privately Owned Businesses” by Inc. magazine; #73 out of Top 100.
1982
Career Blazers of White Plains opened. Career Blazers named “One of the Nation’s Fastest Growing Privately Owned Businesses” by Inc. magazine; #318 out of Top 500.
Bill Lewis starts term as President of the New York Association of Temporary and Staffing Services.
1983
Job Hunting for the Disabled, authored by Adele Lewis & Edith Marks, published by Barron’s Educational Services.
1986
Career Blazers Learning Center eligible for financial aid programs for students.
Career Blazers Financial Division founded.
1987
Career Blazers first franchise opened in Melville, New York.
Career Blazers of White Plains named “One of Nation’s Fastest Growing Privately Owned Businesses” by Inc. magazine; #168 out of Top 500.
Profitable Careers in Nonprofit, authored by William Lewis and Carol Milano, published by Wiley Publishing.
Fast Track Careers, authored by William Lewis and Nancy Schuman, published by John Wiley & Sons.
1988
Career Blazers relocated to expand facilities in Rockefeller Center area.
Career Blazers Bilingual Division founded.
Second Career Blazers franchise in Paramus, New Jersey.
1989
Career Blazers Learning & Employment Center opened in Phoenix, Arizona.
Third Career Blazers franchise opens in Standford, Connecticut, followed by fourth Career Blazers franchise in Parsippany, New Jersey.
Los Angeles, CA welcomes Career Blazers Learning Center; training included relevant software applications and ESL.
Yorktown Heights, N.Y. branch office opened.
Barbara Gebhardt starts term as President of the New York Association of Personnel Consultants.
1990
1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act is passed to prohibit discriminatory practices on the basis of a disability.
Washington, D.C. branch office opened. Career Blazers Learning Center opens in Melville, N.Y.
Career Blazers Training Centers begins training programs for the Department of Labor.
1991
The Glass Ceiling Commission is created to investigate the “artificial barriers” that prevent qualified women and minorities from moving into more senior positions.
Our 20th career guidance book, How to Choose and Use Temporary Services, written by Lewis William, published by The American Management Association.
1993
The Family and Medical Leave Act passes, allowing for parental leave for the birth of a child.
1994
Career Blazers expanded adaptive training services to individuals with disabilities in response to ADA passage in 1990.
1995
Barbara Gebhardt named Executive Vice President and COO of Career Blazers.
Bill Lewis becomes a member of the Speaker’s Bureau for the American Staffing Association.
1996
Career Blazers Learning Center responds to the technical needs of the market by creating a synergistic educational model between training and staffing. The school issues its first License.
1998
The Workforce Investment Act creates a means for businesses to participate in workforce training and career pathways programs.
Licensing of Career Blazer schools expands to 73 nationally.
2000
2004
Scientific Staffing opens in salute to founder Adele Lewis.
2005
Career Blazers establishes Clean Tech Job Development.
Essential Career Guide for the Scientific Professional, written by Barbara Gebhart, is published by Datamotion Publishing.
2006
Career Blazers formalizes Executive Leadership Recruitment for Nonprofit Boards.
2009
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Passes.
2010
2010
Career Blazers recognized as sector expert, participating and presenting frequently to Staffing Industry.
2013
The Department of Labor celebrates 100 years of serving workers.
2017
Career Blazers provides consultancy services to search firms and staffing organizations.
2018
Nonprofits become the nation’s third largest workforce.
2020
2021
Career Blazers Nonprofit Search established. Barbara Gebhardt named CEO of Career Blazers Nonprofit Search, focusing exclusively on staffing for nonprofit organizations.
Nonprofit sector becomes the second-largest source of employment in the country, up from its long-standing third largest sector ranking (Census Bureau’s American Community Survey).
2022
Career Blazers becomes an early member of The Nonprofit Cooperative, founded to support the needs of the nonprofit community.
2023
The Nonprofit Stakeholders Engaging and Advancing Together (Nonprofit SEAT) Act proposed to create mechanisms that help government and the nonprofit sector work together more effectively in pursuit of shared goals (H.R. 3245).
Career Blazers Nonprofit Search published its first Nonprofit Compensation and Benchmarking Report.
2024
Career Blazers celebrates 75 years of successfully responding to the marketplace with focused employment services.