Goodwill® is Expanding AI and Digital Skills Training to 50K+ Californians with Support from Google.org

Four-year initiative aims to help job seekers build skills for an increasingly technology-driven workforce

SACRAMENTO, CA (October 23, 2026) — Goodwill Industries International (GII) is expanding access to digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills training across California with $4M in funding from Google.org, the philanthropy arm of Google. Leaders from GII and Google are speaking today at the Association of California Goodwills (ACG) Conference in Sacramento, announcing that the support will enable about 51,000 Californians to gain access over four years to career-oriented training via the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator® (GDCA) for California.

GDCA for California equips job seekers, people seeking to advance their careers and Goodwill employees with foundational, applied and occupation-specific digital skills. The initiative also strengthens the capacity of participating local Goodwill organizations to integrate digital and AI training into their existing career development and economic mobility services.

“AI is changing nearly every aspect of how people find work, build their careers and perform on the job,” said GII President and CEO, Steve Preston. “Through this support from Google.org, local Goodwill organizations across California will be able to help people build practical digital and AI skills that lead to greater economic opportunity.”

Training can meet learners at different starting points and support their continued progression. Participants will also have access to Google AI learning opportunities and Google Career Certificates in various fields, including IT support, data analytics, project management, cybersecurity, digital marketing, e-commerce, user experience design and business intelligence.

“Google is committed to ensuring that California’s workforce is prepared to thrive in an AI-driven economy,” said Anthony Portantino, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google. “We are proud to support Goodwill in their efforts to broaden access to digital literacy and technical training so job seekers across the state can unlock new career opportunities and skills needed for an AI workforce.”

Since 2017, Goodwill has offered Google’s digital skills programs nationally, contributing to more than 400,000 Americans being placed into well-paying jobs. The California initiative builds on that collaboration by combining Google’s technology and learning resources with the statewide Goodwill network of community-based workforce nonprofits. GDCA for California began in October 2025 and runs through September 2029. Twelve local Goodwill organizations across the state are participating in the program; one additional Goodwill organization will join the program soon, extending access to the entire state. Ten months into the initiative, half of the participating Goodwill organizations reported that more than 8,600 Californians had already taken advantage of the training programs – progress that was celebrated at the ACG Conference.

The participating organizations and service regions currently include:

• Goodwill Southern Los Angeles County (Long Beach, CA)
• Goodwill Industries of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
• Southern Oregon Goodwill Industries (Medford, OR), serving territory in Northern California
• Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties (Oxnard, CA)
• Goodwill Industries of Sacramento Valley & Northern Nevada (Sacramento, CA)
• Goodwill Central Coast (Salinas, CA)
• Goodwill Industries of San Diego County (San Diego, CA)
• Goodwill San Francisco Bay/Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona (San Francisco, CA)
• Goodwill Industries of Silicon Valley (San Jose, CA)
• Goodwill Industries of Orange County (Santa Ana, CA)
• Goodwill Industries of the Redwood Empire (Santa Rosa, CA)
• Goodwill Industries of San Joaquin Valley (Stockton, CA)

Across the four-year initiative, participating organizations are working toward shared goals related to training completion, credentials, employment placement, wage advancement and job retention. For more information about the GDCA, visit www.goodwill.org/dca/.

About Goodwill Industries International

Goodwill works to enhance the quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, building bridges to opportunity and helping people in need reach their potential through learning and the Power of Work®.

For nearly 125 years, Goodwill organizations across North America have helped people find jobs, support their families and feel the satisfaction that comes from working. There are 150 local Goodwill organizations that assist people through a variety of employment placement services, job training programs and other community-based services. In 2025, the organization helped nearly 1.9 million people build skills, access resources and advance their careers.

Goodwill sells donated items in more than 3,500 retail and outlet stores in the U.S. and Canada, as well as through online marketplaces. The revenue creates training programs and job placements to help people find work or advance their careers.

Goodwill plays a critical role in powering the circular economy and is one of the biggest promoters of reuse in North America. In 2025, Goodwill helped keep 4.6 billion pounds of goods in circulation, extending the life of textiles and other donated goods.

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