By Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries Community Engagement and Training Specialist, Emily McHenry
On June 12, Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries (OH) and CVS Health unveiled a simulated CVS Pharmacy training program. Several leaders spoke at the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony event, including Susan Pugh of Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, John White of CVS Health and Mike Hall of Goodwill Industries International.
Mark Goloja, president and CEO of Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries, thanked the mission services department for their work toward implementing the CVS Retail Training Program for the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys.
The event’s guest of honor was Tiffany Oliver, a sorter at the local Goodwill® organization and a successful graduate of the CVS Retail Training Program. Oliver was presented with a certificate of achievement and a glass paperweight.
“CVS Health is committed to helping underserved populations, including individuals with disabilities, mature workers, youth, veterans and dislocated workers,” said David Casey, vice president, workforce strategies and chief diversity officer at CVS Health. “By helping connect individuals with the job skills they need to gain stable employment, we are building healthier and more thriving communities across Ohio and the country.”
The new CVS Pharmacy program is a dynamic component of Goodwill’s workforce training initiative for retail sales associates. The program includes job readiness soft-skills training combined with classroom and field-based clinical instruction, creating a pipeline of retail store employees.
“We are excited to be a conduit of opportunity for the Valley and stand ready to partner with community agencies to advance this initiative and its participants,” said Denis Robinson, director of mission services at the local Goodwill. “This unique training program is designed to prepare individuals with needed skills to succeed in careers, not just jobs.”
The training will be focused on individuals who have disabilities and other barriers to employment, including work-related injuries, economic disadvantages, a history of incarceration or a lack of work experience.
Goodwill plans to train several hundred people in this program and expects to expand the curriculum to include Pharmacy Tech and Store Manager Leadership training within a year.
View the local coverage of the event by television station WKBN.
