Goodwill Employment Services helps individuals overcome employment barriers by assisting them in finding work in local communities. Part of our mission at Goodwill is to train and place local residents in jobs throughout the Tri-State area. In 2016, our Employment Specialists placed 72 individuals into jobs; 60 were placed within communities we serve and 12 were placed internally at Goodwill. 292 total individuals were served through our programs and 8,372 Job Readiness Training Sessions took place.
Our Employment Services division offers the following programs:
- Work Adjustment Training – A community-based or facility-based program designed to reorient individuals into a work environment who have never been employed or have been out of work for a period of time.
- Work Skills Assessment – This program evaluates individuals’ workplace capabilities, while identifying possible employment strengths.
- Job Readiness – Individuals are prepared for all phases of employment, which include, but are not limited to, resume building, interviewing skills and job retention.
- Job Coaching – Job coaches provide on-the-job assistance and training with employees to support their development of long-term skills necessary to maintain employment and thrive in a new career.
The program works individually with persons referred through the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services, the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Ohio Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, Worker’s Compensation, and private rehabilitation companies to assist individuals in their job search.
At Goodwill, we believe in working smarter, not harder. Call Goodwill today at 304-523-7461 and let us help you on your path to success. For more information, you can also contact employmentserviceswv@goodwillhunting.org.
Employment & Training Success Story
Meet Corey!
In 2019, Corey Meade was referred to our Employment & Training Services for assistance in preparing for, obtaining, and maintaining employment. Since then, Corey has participated in several of Goodwill’s Training Programs, including: Work Skills Assessment (2019), Facility Based Work Adjustment Training (FBWAT) and Placement Services (2020), and Community Based Work Adjustment Training (CBWAT) (2021).
When asked if he would recommend others to the programs, he enthusiastically stated: “Yes! I actually do that all of the time when people talk about finding a job.” He went on to suggest that participating in our Employment & Training Services placed him on the pathway to learn many valuable life skills, such as managing anxiety, building self-confidence, and gaining work-related training.
In fact, Corey recently was a CBWAT Trainee and states that he was “training at the LeSage Naturals water bottling facility (in LeSage, WV),” where he worked at one of the assembly line stations in the 16.9 oz water bottling room – his job entails “using their machinery and lever system to fill water bottles and cap them.” Overall, he enjoys his job, stating that: “It keeps me focused and keeps my anxiety level down. Plus, I’m actually really good at it! It’s repetitive. You know what your task(s) will be and the day-to-day schedule is very structured.”
When tasked with the question: “What has Goodwill done for you?,” Corey responded: “Goodwill helped me keep my sanity – I’m joking. It has really helped me to find ways to feel more calm and in-control of my mental health, especially when outside of my home and in places I can’t control. Goodwill believes in me.” He has learned valuable skills, such as “being on time, focusing on what he needs to do, learning what the supervisor wants completed and to work on that,” and, above all, “to believe in himself.”
Corey’s favorite thing about Goodwill is that “they work with him in ways that are best for him.”
Excitedly, he has been such an asset to LeSage Naturals/GreenAcres that they have now hired him full-time once he completed our program – the perfect example of the success that individuals can accomplish once they have the access to the necessary tools to achieve.
This division has had no formal consumer grievances during the CARF accreditation period of: 2018, 2019 and 2020.