Find My Goodwill

Building a Skilled Workforce Is Crucial to Economic Recovery

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A recent column, “Building America’s Workforce,” appeared in a publication commonly read by Congressional members and staff alike. The author, Thomas Hilliard, a senior fellow in workforce development policy at the Center for an Urban Future, discusses the pressures that obstruct our nation’s job training system from producing a workforce with the skills that businesses need to compete in the global economy. These pressures include the skills gap; a disjointed, multi-piece skills-building system; and underfunding.

Tips for Finding a Job When You've Been Unemployed

Frank from the Greater Cleveland area asks, “I have been out of work for more than six months and have had no luck finding a job. I am not even having any success in getting an interview. What do I need to do to get noticed?”

Tips for Finding a Job When You’ve Been Unemployed

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

Frank from the Greater Cleveland area asks, “I have been out of work for more than six months and have had no luck finding a job. I am not even having any success in getting an interview. What do I need to do to get noticed?”

Tea Leaves Reveal Significant Obstacles for Job Training Bill

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As discussed in last week’s blog, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee recently cleared legislation (S. 1356) that would reauthorize federal investments in the nation’s core job training programs. With the House having passed its Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization bill on March 15, the HELP Committee’s action sets a new high-water mark in the decade-long effort to pass a reauthorization bill. Yet two significant obstacles remain before final passage.

Senate Panel Advances Job Training Bill

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Yesterday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted 18-3 to advance bipartisan legislation (S. 1356) to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). WIA was enacted in 1998, and has not since been reauthorized. As a result, the law is long overdue for an update. Goodwill supports the bill as written and is urging the Senate to quickly bring the bill to the Senate floor.

Five TED Talks That Will Change the Way You Work and Think

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Caitlyn from Boston, MA, asks, “I like my job, but I do the same things every day, exactly the same way. My colleagues don’t seem particularly interested in how to think or do things differently. I need to get the lead out and get inspired again. Can you help?”

A Bevy of Craft Projects to Complete with Cigar Boxes

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Every so often, I find a beautiful cigar box poised patiently on a thrift store shelf. It’s hard to pass up, knowing that these classic boxes have so much potential! I love their unique utility and aesthetic – they work so nicely in any shabby-chic or traditionally styled home. Plus, they cost next to nothing thanks to the low prices.

Senate Committee Vote on WIA Expected Next Week

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

News of the newest addition to Britain’s royal family has been the most anticipated event since we wondered who shot JR. This week, we learned of yet another much anticipated, if somewhat less newsworthy, event—the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee’s plan to consider the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act of 2013 (WIA) – S.1356 — next week.

My Story: Donald and Jennifer McGrath

Man with shoulder-length hair, mustache, and glasses in a suit, speaking; Goodwill logo bottom-right.

Diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, OCD and a mild intellectual disability, Jennifer McGrath had limited job skills when she was referred to Goodwill. Her father, Donald, shares how she blossomed in the program and. “To see my daughter working at Goodwill has been like a miracle. I didn’t expect that she would be able to come so far, so fast.”

Thrift Stores: Where Nothing Is Ever Discontinued

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When I registered for dishes all those years ago, I wanted dishes I’d actually use and not just look at. The ones I decided on were simple, adorable and apparently (unbeknownst to me) about to be discontinued. That’s why I nearly had a fit when I spotted a pile of my discontinued wedding dishes NEW WITH THE TAGS for sale on an endcap at the Goodwill.

Collaboration Is Key to Doing More with Less

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In recent years, the pool of resources for human services, including job training, has been steadily evaporating despite increased need. In the case of job training, federal funding for job training has steadily eroded over the last decade. Since 2002, funding for the Workforce Investment Act’s (WIA) core funding streams has declined by $1 billion — more than 25 percent. Meanwhile unemployment was 5.8 percent in 2002, compared to 8.1 percent in 2012. As a result practitioners are asking themselves, “How do we do more with less?”

After the Interview: How to Send a Follow-Up Message

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

Roger from Dallas, TX, asks, “I finished school earlier this year and am applying for jobs in full force this summer. My mom says that I should send a card in the mail after each interview, but a friend in the business says email follow-ups are fine. What do you think?”