Career Scoop: Good Choices Make Good Lives

By Debbie Grant, Career Solutions development director

When people think about Goodwill they think about shopping and making donations to help other people go to work. But what they may not know is that Goodwill is also about helping young people in middle school and high school learn about the importance of making good choices.

Consider the choices you make each day. What will I eat? What will I wear? Will I go to school or to work today? It’s all about deciding what to do. If you go shopping, you may decide to spend money on one big item or on several small items. Each of these decisions has an impact on today, tomorrow and in some manner, the years ahead.

Goodwill wants to encourage young people to stay in school, determine future options, and to understand that the way they behave today, along with the choices they make today, can directly impact them, their family and their community, for the rest of their lives. Goodwill counselors and employee volunteers help teens learn to make good decisions by visiting their schools and presenting a program called CHOICES. The CHOICES training consists of two one-hour interactive presentations that provide information so the students understand how they do have control over their present and their future. They learn the importance of self-discipline as a key to success and they have fun while learning!

Volunteers from Goodwill Industries and the Middle Tennessee Society for HR Management have partnered to make the presentations and fund the supplies for the program. Additional funding was provided by a grant from the Predators Foundation and United Parcel Service.

Know a classroom of eighth or ninth graders that can we can train? Call 615-346-1237.

 

 

Career Scoop: Lifting job seekers to another level

By Crystal Tyler, Computer Instructor

Twice a week, every Monday afternoon and Friday morning, the computer lab at our Berry Road Career Solutions Center transforms! It becomes the home of our forklift training program. Most forklift operators will tell you, “I’ve driven for years and never had to be certified,” and that was the case.  However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require that all forklift operators be certified. Lucky for them Goodwill can provide that certification.

Goodwill’s forklift training program is helpful on two fronts.  First, it helps the clients by giving them a boost of confidence because they are certified. Second, it helps employers by certifying employees for their business. Busy employers no longer have to dedicate time to train their personnel when it can be done by Goodwill.

Our three hour training program focuses on sit-down trucks and teaches the safety points that every forklift operator must know.  The class allows each student hands-on training, giving the benefit of obtaining experience on the equipment, regardless of whether they have operated a forklift in the past so the class is perfect for both the novice and the seasoned professional operator.

Beginning in 2011, we will be offering a new addition to our forklift training, focusing on narrow-aisle (aka reach trucks) equipment.  This training will be offered to those who have previous experience on this type of equipment.

Here at Goodwill our training programs offer more than just knowledge.  They offer the chance at a better life.  Whether it is the ability to find a job, or the ability to move up in the position that you already have, chances are that Goodwill has a training program that can help you do just that.

Do you know someone whose life could be changed if they were to go through one of Goodwill’s training programs?  Let them know Goodwill can help.

Career Scoop: The dish on our services

Betty Johnson, Vice President of Employment Services

The Goodwill Career Solutions division provides job readiness, job training, job placement and job retention services for people who are unemployed and seeking employment. We offer many choices or “flavors” for clients to select.  We’ll speak more specifically about these choices in future postings.

Sometimes people who are unemployed have experienced some difficulties in their lives. These difficulties may make it that much harder to find a job or keep a job.  One difficulty may be someone who has been through a downsizing.  In some cases, some encouragement, assistance in updating a resume and some job leads may be all it takes.  Another difficulty may be someone who doesn’t have a HS diploma or GED.  Aside from referring someone to GED classes, Goodwill helps folks learn how to complete applications, resumes and generally present themselves in the correct light.

Our counselors work individually with job seekers to determine their particular interests and abilities to better focus the job search direction. We also offer some short term training programs for people who are interested in learning new jobs.

Keep checking back to learn more about our services and to read about clients who have been successful in their job search process through Goodwill’s Career Solutions Division. This year we hope to assist more than 11,000 people with finding jobs in their communities.  If you need our services, maybe you will be one of them.