U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez compared programs that help people find family-sustaining careers to apps on a smartphone or tablet. Whether you are a person in need of a job or a community stakeholder who understands that work is an effective anti-poverty tool, there’s an app for that called Goodwill.
Todd from Little Rock, AR, asks "I’m helping my teenage nephew look for his first-ever summer job. I'm keeping an eye on the regular job boards, but are there particular places we should look for these kinds of opportunities?"
Andy Yeager came to Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa (Des Moines) as a high school student looking to gain job experience. He attended job readiness training and gained on-the-job experience that led to his job as a wares processor at the Urbandale, IA, Goodwill store. His hard work paid off, and he earned the agency's Achiever of the Year award.
Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA (Macon) has entered a partnership with the Aiken Warrior Project of Aiken, SC, to help student veterans look their best when transitioning to the private workforce.
READ MORE from Suit Up Program Helps Transitioning Vets in Central Georgia
As spring blooms in Washington and the cherry blossoms come to life, Congress begins one of its busiest periods. The question is, are the hopes of spring to be realized with the passage of long delayed legislation like the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), benefits for the long-term unemployed and timely consideration of FY 2015 spending bills? Or, are we being set up for a Congressional April Fools’ joke?
READ MORE from Hope Springs Anew in D.C.—or Is It April Fools?
Willa from Norman, OK, asks, "I find it really hard to say no to my coworkers—even when they're asking me to do things outside of my job duties. Are there nice ways I can turn them down without damaging our relationship?"
READ MORE from How to Say No: Navigating Non-Essential Work Requests
This past February, Goodwill of Central Arizona (Phoenix) celebrated the grand openings of two Goodwill career centers on-site at Maricopa Skill Center’s (MSC) two Phoenix area campuses. These are the first Goodwill Career Center locations to open on-site at a community college. The career centers were opened to build upon services currently offered to MSC students as well as to support career exploration for members of the community who are seeking employment.
LEE: "Since working at Goodwill, I’ve purchased a house. This past summer, I put in a garden and grew foods I love to eat. Working at Goodwill has given me back my dignity and respect."
In the movie Casablanca, Louis the French gendarme played by Claude Rains is forced by the evil Nazis to shut down Rick’s Café American. Rick, played by Humphrey Bogart, is furious about the shutdown and demands to know on what grounds his café is being closed. Louis states, “I’m shocked, shocked, to find that gambling is going on in here!” Of course that Louis is the most prolific gambler of any of Rick’s customers is what makes the announcement so ironically funny. So, too, in Washington: I am amused when one side announces that the other side is playing politics with an issue. Really, politics? In Washington? I’m shocked!
Question “With tax time getting nearer, I’m getting more stressed about getting my taxes done. There’s a lot of information out there, and it’s hard to suss out what’s true and what isn’t. Any advice you have would be appreciated.” — Max from Berea, KY Answer With so much tax-time misinformation circulating around the Internet,
