Goodwill of the Coastal Empire Taking Part in Job-Training Program for Women

Feb. 8, 2013 - PRLog -- (SAVANNAH, GA)  Help is on the way for women in the Coastal Empire area who are having difficulty advancing their careers. Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, Inc. is one of 45 Goodwill® agencies across the country to take part in an innovative program that provides job training and placement services to women.

The program, known as Beyond Jobs and funded through a $7.7 million grant from the Walmart Foundation, will now create a larger impact by reaching more women who are unemployed or underemployed. This new funding will help broaden the reach of a program that was started in 2010 in five U.S. markets serving 1,342 women, to serving an expected 12,250 women in 49 communities.

“We are very excited to be able to further assist the working women of the Coastal Empire,” said Brenda Pollen, Goodwill of the Coastal Empire’s Director of Workforce Development. “Each woman in the program will receive a complete career assessment including job training, placement services and additional support to help them achieve economic security and advance in their careers.”
Beyond Jobs leverages Goodwill’s holistic approach to job training, placement and family financial support services. Over the 30-month grant period, Goodwill will work with women to provide them the tools to achieve their educational, career and financial goals.

Once participants are placed in jobs, they receive support to retain them, to further their education, and to advance in careers within their chosen industries.

Interested applicants can contact Ansley Williams at (912)354-6611 ext. 113 or at (912) 429-4293.

Long-term unemployment among women remains a problem, both locally and nationwide. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 26 percent of the women who lost their jobs during the recession have regained them. Last year, more than one out of four women was still looking for work after more than a year of job hunting.

“Not only will this program help to place women, no matter their circumstances, in jobs, it will also give them everything they need to support themselves and their families, in the long term,” said Pollen. “Beyond Jobs fulfills Goodwill’s mission of generating economic opportunities for people who face challenges to finding employment — in this case, women of all backgrounds — to achieve career advancement and financial independence.”

Among the tools provided by the Beyond Jobs program are continued financial education, family strengthening services, early education and child care assistance, and connections to healthy food and nutrition initiatives.

The Beyond Jobs program is a key element in Walmart achieving the goals of its Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative, one of which is to help 200,000 U.S. women from low-income households with workforce readiness through job training, education, career counseling, and mentoring. For more information, visit http://www.corporate.walmart.com/women.

About Goodwill of the Coastal Empire

Goodwill of the Coastal Empire is dedicated to the mission of assisting people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to live independently and become employed. The not-for-profit organization employs nearly 600 employees throughout the area. In 2012, Goodwill provided services to 24,427 people and placed 1,406 people into employment through various programs offered throughout the region. Goodwill of the Coastal Empire serves 33 counties in Georgia and South Carolina, operating 14 retail locations and six Job Connection Centers in that region. Goodwill accepts tax deductible clothing, household items, computers, and car donations, as well as operates an online store at shopgoodwill.com. For more information on Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, please visit http://www.goodwillsavannah.org. Find us on Facebook: Savannah Goodwill or follow us on Twitter: @SavGoodwill.

About Philanthropy at Walmart

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief and Nutrition, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than 900 million meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jan Bass, Marketing Director, Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, (912) 354-6611 ext. 107 or cell (912) 663-0685