Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA Honored with the 2016 Goodwill Volunteer Program of the Year Award
Rockville, MD — Job seekers in Macon, GA, have a chance to practice first impressions prior to attending various job fairs offered throughout the year. The Job Fair Boot Camp — a program offered by Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA — was recently named the 2016 Goodwill Volunteer Program of the Year by Goodwill Industries International.
The team members at the Goodwill® in Macon secure employers for six annual job fairs each year and help job seekers prepare their resumes. They felt that they needed to do more to help the job seekers learn how to put together their very best personal presentations, so the team recruited with a volunteer to create the Job Fair Boot Camp.
Each Job Fair Boot Camp is offered at least two days prior to a job fair and is free and open to the public. Volunteers teach classes with a set curriculum to address attire and appearance, what to bring and what not to bring to a job fair, how to approach a potential employer at a job fair, and, finally, how to follow up with a potential employer after the job fair is over. Attendees of the boot camp also get the chance to practice their introductions one on one with volunteers who roleplay as potential employers.
In 2015, 29 volunteers helped 248 job seekers prepare for job fairs in Aiken, SC, as well as Macon, Warner Robins, and Augusta, GA.
“The Job Fair Boot Camp is a perfect example of how Goodwill works with job seekers to meet specific needs in the community,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA should be proud of its work and the many lives changed by the special support they provide to job seekers.”
The award will be presented during Goodwill’s annual Delegate Assembly in Omaha, NE, on Sunday, June 12.
The Volunteer Program of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding volunteer-driven program at a member Goodwill organization that is mission focused and outcomes oriented. The winning program has a lasting impact on the people Goodwill serves and is a model for other Goodwill organizations to replicate.
ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL:
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 164 autonomous, community-based organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of America’s top 20 most inspiring companies (Forbes, 2014). Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,100 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com®. Local Goodwill organizations also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food services preparation, and document imaging and shredding. Last year, Goodwill placed 312,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 35 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills. To learn more, visit goodwill.org.
For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at Goodwill.org or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl
