Long-time friends Dwight Murphy and Bobby Bowers, both 23, dream of being in the music industry. They are realistic enough to know that they need to make a living while they pursue that dream, and turned to Goodwill of the Big Bend’s Career Training Center to explore their options.
The two found the ‘buddy system’ of career exploration motivating. “[H]aving a companion to make the rounds with is a constant source of encouragement, especially on days when it feels particularly difficult to get up and carry on the search,” they said. They added that although they had explored other community resources, they like the Goodwill’s one-on-one, individualized approach, and found it the most helpful.
In addition to one-on-one instruction, the agency offers self-paced study, online lessons, workbooks and worksheets, and multiple teaching approaches for skill building; and assessments, resume and interview assistance and placement services for entering the workplace.
The stories of the two men frame a comprehensive profile of the mission services provided at the center, published in the Jackson County Floridian. The Goodwill’s financial skills training, services for veterans, and employer and community resource partnerships are also described.
“[The Career Center] is a modest but adequate setting for a hard-driving core of employees who try with every encounter to live out the mission of Goodwill,” according to the article.
Read the article, Getting Back to Work.
