Goodwill Houston and CompuCycle Launch Tech Recycle Workforce Training Program for Students with Disabilities

HOUSTON, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodwill Houston and CompuCycle today announced Tech Recycle, a workforce training program that turns school districts' retired electronics into paid vocational training for transition-age students with disabilities. Goodwill Houston operates the program and pays every student. CompuCycle, a Houston-based electronics recycler, provides certified data destruction and recycling for the districts' devices.

Tech Recycle is a 12-week paid work-based learning program that helps students on the autism spectrum build skills and prepare for future employment, at no cost to them.

How Does Tech Recycle Work?

• Districts send retired electronics to CompuCycle for certified data destruction and receive audit-ready documentation before sending the wiped devices to Goodwill Houston to be used in instruction.
• Students join a 12-week paid work-based learning program run by Goodwill Houston, gaining hands-on experience and skills that can support future employment.
• Goodwill Houston funds student paychecks in full, separate from the value returned to districts.
• CompuCycle recycles the scrap materials in-house at its 130,000 sq ft Houston facility and returns recovered material value to the districts.

From One Classroom to a Regional Workforce Program

Tech Recycle grew out of TechCycle, a program CompuCycle launched with Pearland ISD, supported by seed funding from Texas A&M and covered by ABC13. Goodwill Houston now runs it as Tech Recycle.

"Goodwill Houston saw what it could be across the region and built the training around it. Our job is to keep the recycling secure, certified, and done right here in Houston," said Kelly Adels Hess, CEO of CompuCycle.

Building a Pathway to Success for Students with Autism

"We have run into so many students who have a passion for telling you how things work and taking them apart. But we did not have a pathway set aside for them. The greatest part about this program is we're paying these students. They now have certified training and a resume builder," said Vernee Sampson, Senior Manager of Vocational Rehabilitation Programs at Goodwill Houston.

"Most arrive assuming that they can't do this or this isn't for them, but we want them to walk away believing that they can do it," said Alicia Franklin, Career Coach and instructor for Tech Recycle.

How Can Districts and Organizations Get Involved?

School districts that want to train their students through Tech Recycle can contact Goodwill Houston. Organizations with retired electronics can send them through CompuCycle. Learn more about the CompuCycle and Goodwill Houston partnership.

"Community impact is the point of Tech Recycle. A district retires its devices, we recycle them securely, and Goodwill Houston turns that into paid training for students. When a recycler, a nonprofit, and a school district work together, the whole community benefits," Hess said.

Join the Conversation at E-Scrap

Kelly Adels Hess will lead a workshop, "Community Partnerships, Real Impact," at the E-Scrap Conference in New Orleans on October 27 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

About Goodwill Houston

Goodwill Houston is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing lives through the power of work. Serving individuals and families across the Greater Houston area, Goodwill Houston provides workforce development, job training, career services and other programs designed to help people build skills, overcome barriers to employment and achieve greater independence.

About CompuCycle

CompuCycle is a Houston-based IT asset disposition and electronics recycling company. It holds R2v3, e-Stewards, and ISO 27001 certifications, the only electronics recycler in Texas with all three.

Media Contacts

• CompuCycle: Kelly Adels Hess, CEO, [email protected], 713-869-6700
• Goodwill Houston: Mia Brooks, Events and Public Relations Coordinator, [email protected], 713-805-7031

SOURCE CompuCycle