In Winston-Salem, Community College Partnership Expands Job Training Courses

Empty ClassroomDavidson County Community College (DCCC) and Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina (Winston-Salem) recently partnered to create a program that offers local residents access to a variety of different job training courses.

The classes, offered at Goodwill’s Career Connections Center, include the agency’s existing  personalized job search services as well as new courses offered by DCCC. The services are free to the community and are funded through the sale of donated items in the Winston-Salem Goodwill’s stores.

“This is truly a remarkable opportunity for both the college and the community,” said Dr. Mary Rittling, president of DCCC. “The courses offered at Goodwill’s Career Connections Center have the potential to make a difference in the lives of community members who are unemployed or underemployed — and that’s not something we take lightly. Our goal is to reach out from beyond the walls of the college, invest in the community and make a difference for those who might find a convenient option at alternative locations.”

Sheila Padrick, the Goodwill’s Career Connections director, explained that the location of the center, which is in the middle of town, makes the facility easily accessible.

“We want people to have the opportunity to better their lives,” Padrick said. “We can tell people to get a job, but that doesn’t really help them. We’re trying to aid our economy, and our goal is to help them reach a living wage.”

DCCC is currently offering a few classes at the Goodwill center, including a notary class, OSHA and an employability lab. Padrick hopes the number of options will grow. Scholarships may be available for fee-based courses in the future.