It’s never too late to take a self assessment and personality test. They offer questions about our likes, dislikes and needs. The answers can help us rediscover what we want to be as adults.
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Learning doesn’t have to end just because you aren’t engaged in a formal training or education program. Committing to learning one new thing in your field each day can not only help keep your brain sharp, but also improve your awareness of the latest industry trends.
So you’ve decided to apply to a degree or training program—congratulations on making the commitment to improving your long-term career and financial stability! One of the next steps to take after applying for the program is to seek out financial aid opportunities.
Lack of prior work experience can be a huge hindrance for young people seeking employment. Find out how Goodwill® is working to support the #FirstJob Hiring and Recruiting Compact, a new initiative from the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education, so that youth can gain the skills and experiences needed to advance in their own careers.
Learn more about social media in your job search, how to manage some common application questions, advocate for yourself and how to pick up coding skills for free.
READ MORE from Career and Financial Advice for September 2016
Six years ago, I was a single mother raising two young children while living in a low-income housing community. Determined to support my family, I enrolled in Goodwill’s Certified Nurse Assistant Training Program.
Eventually, raising four kids became too much for my 19-year-old mom, and I landed in foster care. Even then, I did okay in school. I was on track to graduate. But that never happened. I got into a fight at school – with a police officer. I was arrested. If I would have stopped for one second to think about it, I wouldn’t have gone to jail, but I didn’t think. I acted. The result was a year in prison. Adult prison, not 'juvie'.
For policy wonks like me, 2016 is off to an exciting start. Congress wrapped up 2015 without shutting down the government, a threat of falling off a “fiscal cliff” is no longer looming, and there is a new speaker of the House. Of course this year there is a presidential election and a number of lawmakers have announced their retirements at the end of this congressional session, providing an opportunity for Goodwill® advocates to make new connections with policymakers.
READ MORE from Get to Know Goodwill's® Legislative Priorities and Become an Advocate
The Aspen Institute’s Workforce Strategies Initiatives (AspenWSI) and Achieving the Dream recently released a new case study, titled“Working Together, Making a Difference”, which highlights the partnership between Goodwill Industries of the Valleys (Roanoke) and Virginia Western Community College. The partnership is part of the Courses to Employment project.
READ MORE from Roanoke Goodwill Featured in National Publication for Workforce Development
Lacking an education isn’t a crime, and it surely shouldn’t result in a prison sentence. Yet, research finds that 70 percent of the U.S. prison population can’t read. They are among the 32 million people (or 14 percent of the U.S. population) that read below a basic level. This week is American Education Week, and Goodwill® understands the important connection between employment and education. People who lack education face a grim future and bleak job prospects. Meanwhile, employers seek workers that have the skills to perform the technical jobs of today and the aptitude to learn the increasingly technical jobs of tomorrow.
