Englewood Job-Link Center now open for business

PRLog (Press Release) - Jul. 13, 2012 - At 8.7%, Charlotte County’s unemployment rate continues to top the state and national averages.  Today, Charlotte County job-seekers have a new option for employment services in Englewood.  Community employers, nonprofit service providers, and Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida (http://www.goodwillswfl.org) employees and board members gathered on Thursday, July 12, to officially cut the ribbon on Goodwill’s new Englewood Job-Link center, which provides employment services, skills training, and family strengthening resources.

The Englewood Job-Link center is one of seven full-time mission services locations operated by the agency and is located at 2001 South McCall Rd.  In 2011, Job-Link centers across Southwest Florida assisted nearly 9,000 people.

“Last year, more than 1,500 people came to our Port Charlotte Job-Link for services,” says Goodwill spokeswoman Kirsten O’Donnell.  “This showed us that there was a real need in Charlotte County for the services we provide. We also recognize that the challenges people face don’t just end with employment. We want people to succeed at work, at home, and in their community.”

In addition to Goodwill’s employment services, the nonprofit also partners with other agencies to provide family strengthening services, such as money management, foreclosure assistance, income tax preparation, and English as a second language courses.  The center also provides free computer access for individuals who need to apply for unemployment or other social services, and three of the Job-Link computers are equipped with adaptive technology for people with disabilities.

In total, Goodwill provides Job-Link services at a 15 locations in Southwest Florida, including Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Clewiston, Fort Myers, LaBelle, Naples, North Fort Myers, Pine Island, Port Charlotte, and now Englewood.

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. helps people with disabilities and other disadvantages overcome their barriers to employment and independence in Charlotte, Collier, Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties.  In 2011, more than 23,000 Southwest Floridians received assistance from Goodwill, ranging from Job-Link services to disability-accessible housing, career guidance and mentoring programs for teens, and the SWFL MicroEnterprise project, a small business education program.  
   
For more information on Englewood Job-Link call (941) 474-0653. To learn more about Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, please visit the agency’s website at http://www.goodwillswfl.org.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/11924099/1