Goodwill High School High Tech Program Earns Accolades

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Oct. 13, 2016 - PRLog -- Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida's High School High Tech program received three awards from the Florida Able Trust at its recent annual conference in Tallahassee.

Florida High School High Tech (HSHT) is a statewide program designed to provide high school students with all types of disabilities the opportunity to explore jobs or postsecondary education leading to technology-related careers. In Southwest Florida, the program is administered by Goodwill.

Goodwill HSHT Coordinator Barbara Ramos was the recipient of the Guidepost Award for career and work-based programs.  The award recognizes Ramos for achievement in providing information about career options and exposure to the world of work; including structured internships.

Ramos oversees the HSHT program in Hendry and Glades Counties, working with students at LaBelle, Clewiston, and Moore Haven High Schools.

"Barbara is very deserving of this award from the Able Trust," says Tim Goodman, Goodwill's HSHT program manager. "She has excelled in the area of providing life-changing experiences for her students in Hendry and Glades."

Goodwill's HSHT program was also recognized as the 2016 Quality HSHT Program at the conference. Additionally, the Hendry/Glades County program received a Disability Employment Awareness Month award of $400 to support transportation to future career exploration activities.

Fifty years after its inception, Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida (http://www.goodwillswfl.org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, remains strongly committed to its mission of serving people with disabilities and disadvantages by providing life-changing opportunities to achieve independence. Last year, the organization served over 42,000 individuals across Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, and Glades counties with programs such as Job-Link centers, education, small business training classes, disability-accessible housing, and more.

The Able Trust (http://www.abletrust.org), also known as the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation, is a public-private partnership foundation established by the Florida Legislature in 1990. Its mission is to be a key leader in providing Floridians with disabilities opportunities for successful employment.

For more information about Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, visit www.goodwillswfl.org.