They say that “second time’s a charm”, and that’s turning out to be true with Kaniya. Kaniya had a previous job development case through Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and Goodwill where she became employed at the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium. However, the chill autumn weather brought a slowdown in zoo visitors and Kaniya was laid off. Not to be deterred, Kaniya contacted OOD and with the assistance of her Goodwill job developer, Kaniya was able to navigate her way through the Covid-19 pandemic and a virtual job fair which was a new experience for her! A successful interview again brought her the part-time job she had been seeking. Now Kaniya is a Fashion Stocker at the Meijer in Maumee. Her supervisor says that Kaniya does a good job and is really coming into her own. That’s the power of work!
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is partnering with Goodwill and Adelante on The I-75 Workforce Initiative which will recruit men and women who live in the Old South End Neighborhood. The goal of The I-75 Workforce Initiative is to create an environment that will provide at least 25 residents from the Old South End Neighborhood with the encouragement, preparation, and opportunity to enter positions within the field of construction and related skilled trade fields.
An Informational Session was held at Adelante where ODOT, building trades, and prime contractors were on site to speak directly with the participants and answer specific questions. Thirty-one participants were in attendance and enrolled in the program who will receive Job Readiness and Financial Literacy training. We are grateful to ODOT for this wonderful opportunity!
Goodwill is pleased to announce that the GED Program returned to the Goodwill downtown office in September 2021. Goodwill has been without the program for a number of years and has recognized that it is an important wrap around service in job training and job development. Weona Williams, GED Program Director for Owens Community College has worked with Charles Gibbon of the JCC and David Takats, Chief Mission Officer to bring the program back to downtown Toledo. With the program added back to the list of Goodwill offered services, it provides a foundational curriculum to give participants an established credential and accomplishment. Furthermore, now that Goodwill has other wrap around services, any costs for tests or transcripts will be absorbed by Goodwill. The classes started on September 28th. If you have any questions, please contact the Goodwill Job Connection Center (JCC) at 419.255.0070.