Goodwill® Leads President's Charge to Help More Workers Advance Into Better-Paying Jobs

Credentials to Career Initiatives and Community College Partnerships Underscore Goodwill’s Commitment to Postsecondary Education and Credentialing
ROCKVILLE, MD — During his State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama called employers to adopt or expand measures to help more workers gain the skills and credentials they need to advance into better-paying jobs. As a nonprofit social enterprise employing 122,000 individuals, Goodwill® is listed as a leading private-sector employer already implementing the President’s call to action with its commitment to pursue initiatives that make postsecondary learning and credentialing available to nontraditional learners — including unemployed and entry-level workers throughout the United States.
“As a provider of workforce development programs to more than 9.8 million individuals who face employment challenges, Goodwill is excited about the proposal for free community college, the increased connections between community colleges and local employers to enhance America’s job-training system, creating more high-wage jobs, and providing people with the skills they need to compete for jobs for the future,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “President Obama’s charge to employers is more than just good business, as it underscores Goodwill’s commitment to invest in the American workforce through our postsecondary education and credentialing initiatives that have had proven success in meeting the needs of our evolving workforce.”
Through the GoodProspects ® for Credentials to Careers initiative, participating Goodwill agencies across the country will connect more than 15,000 workers with postsecondary credentials and help place 12,000 of those individuals in middle-skilled jobs. This year, 10 Goodwill agencies will join this initiative, connecting nearly 4,000 people with postsecondary credentials and helping place nearly 3,000 in middle-skilled jobs. Credentials to Careers is supported by Accenture as part of its Skills to Succeed initiative, which is equipping more than 700,000 people worldwide with the skills to get a job or build a business.
More than 20 percent of the working age population has never earned a degree or credential. Building upon a four-year initiative supported by the Lumina Foundation, 141 Goodwill-community college partnerships are actively preparing individuals for middle-skilled careers in multiple industries, including hospitality, retail, manufacturing, technology and health care. The commitment includes support for 19 large-scale projects that will educate and retrain workers by offering postsecondary education and credentialing services. Lumina expects these grants to reach some 6.6 million adults who have some prior college credits. The Community College/Career Collaboration was launched in 2009 and includes Goodwill Industries International, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Aspen Institute, Jobs for the Future and three pilot local community college/Goodwill partnerships.
About Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with a presence in 14 other countries. Goodwill is one of America’s top 20 most inspiring companies (Forbes, 2014). Goodwill agencies 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 3,000 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com . Local Goodwill agencies 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. In 2013, more than 9.8 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill’s career services. Goodwill channels 83 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. To learn more, visit goodwill.org.
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 .  
CONTACT:
Lauren Lawson Zilai
Director of Public Relations
Goodwill Industries International
Ph, (240) 333-5266
[email protected]