We’ve joined with our partner, the Caterpillar Foundation, to celebrate Digital Inclusion Week (October 7 – 11, 2024). Caterpillar Foundation’s focus is on building resilient communities, and that starts with people. To highlight our collaboration, we want to share the story of Narayan and how he transformed his life with digital skills.
In April 2023, Narayan walked into a Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee (Nashville) career center. He did not have a job, a car, a place to live or many clothes. Narayan faced significant barriers to employment due to his history of justice involvement, but he was determined to turn his life around.
Learning New Digital Skills
Narayan’s journey with Goodwill began with the Google IT Support Professional Certificate training program he entered in May 2023. He completed the course and earned his certificate in just four months. His dedication didn’t stop there; he enrolled in the Google Project Management Professional Certificate course through Goodwill next and also completed it in about four months. Despite experiencing homelessness and navigating job and shelter transitions, Narayan’s resilience and positive attitude shone through.
Goodwill digital skills and certificate programs provide individuals like Narayan, who have no previous industry experience, the opportunity to learn the digital skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly tech-driven world and transition into IT careers — many of which provide higher salaries and meaningful long-term career paths.
Charting a Career
In March 2024, just one month after completing the Google Project Management Professional Certificate, Narayan secured a job teaching project management for Persevere, a company that works with individuals who have been impacted by the justice system. This role, with a substantial hourly wage, marked a significant milestone in his journey.
He describes his success as the product of “willingness, being open-minded and action.” Narayan says, “In a world that is always moving, if there is no movement, then it is moving without you. In order to enjoy the success of the work that you have accomplished, you must do some work.”
Narayan’s story is a powerful example of how hard work and digital skills training can transform lives. He is still connected with Goodwill and is actively saving to purchase a home next year while he currently resides in transitional housing.
These professional certificate programs are made possible in part due to the contribution of the Caterpillar Foundation. Since 2021, the foundation’s contributions have enabled more than 4,000 individuals to receive career-changing digital skills training. That commitment to equipping individuals in under-resourced communities with the digital skills necessary to thrive in our changing world closely aligns with the Goodwill mission.
Founded in 1952, Caterpillar’s philanthropic organization, the Caterpillar Foundation, has contributed more than $935 million to help make sustainable progress possible around the world by building resilient communities that thrive in a rapidly changing world. The foundation’s support has made sustainable progress possible, helping individuals like Narayan achieve their dreams and build brighter futures.
When asked about his experience, Narayan said, “I would like to thank Goodwill for being a brick-and-mortar store that has been seen for years by many, for offering services to anyone who comes through the door and hiring people who genuinely care about people.”
If you or someone you know are interested in gaining digital skills, connect with your local Goodwill career center. To learn more about the global impact of the Caterpillar Foundation, visit caterpillar.com/foundation.