Tag: Young Adults

Last week, approximately 160 people representing Goodwill agencies all across the country came to Washington to inform members of Congress about how Goodwill helps people who have employment challenges to find jobs and advance in careers. They noted that many of our achievements depend on a public-private partnership that exists between Goodwill and government programs that leverage our resources and expertise. Unfortunately, this public-private partnership is becoming lopsided. Over the course of the past decade, we have aggressively worked to increase our capacity to do more, while government resources have steadily declined.

READ MORE from Goodwill's Capacity Is Increasing: Can Policymakers Hold Up Their End of the Deal?

Last week, approximately 160 people representing Goodwill agencies all across the country came to Washington to inform members of Congress about how Goodwill helps people who have employment challenges to find jobs and advance in careers. They noted that many of our achievements depend on a public-private partnership that exists between Goodwill and government programs that leverage our resources and expertise. Unfortunately, this public-private partnership is becoming lopsided. Over the course of the past decade, we have aggressively worked to increase our capacity to do more, while government resources have steadily declined.

READ MORE from Goodwill’s Capacity Is Increasing: Can Policymakers Hold Up Their End of the Deal?

When Jeremy graduated high school, he knew he wanted to find "a job he liked forever," but wasn't sure what it was. Goodwill helped him zero in on his career goals and he now says he wants to work at Goodwill for the rest of his life. "My job has shown me how wonderful it is to give to others," he says.

READ MORE from My Story: Jeremy Davidson

The Lufkin Goodwill’s YouthBuild program is made possible by one of 74 Department of Labor grants distributed to community-based organizations throughout the country and will focus specifically on the construction industry. Over two years, it will help 64 18-to-24-year-old students in rural Angelina and Nacogdoches counties advance their education and job skills in order to achieve economic self-sufficiency. The area’s unemployment and poverty rates for this age group are 23.92 percent and 18.92 percent respectively, compared to national rates of 18.5 percent and 15.3 percent; the graduation rate is 67.83 percent versus 71.7 percent nationally.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Helps Youth Build Promising Careers through Job Training and Education

Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act (H.R. 803). The bill proposes to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) while consolidating 35 job training programs in a single block grant to states. On March 6, 2013, the House Education and the Workforce Committee passed the bill 23-0. Democratic members of the committee walked out on the vote to protest the partisan process being used to advance the bill.

READ MORE from Action Needed to Prevent One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Job Training

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) has noted concerns that the skills gap makes it difficult for employers to fill jobs with qualified workers and that the more than 50 federal job training programs present a complicated maze for job seekers to navigate. In response to these concerns, Rep. Foxx has introduced the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act, which proposes to eliminate 35 job training programs into a single one-size-fits-all block grant to states. Tell Congress to set aside old disagreements to build upon the strengths of existing programs to develop a broad workforce system that serves employers and businesses, serves people, and contributes to building stronger families and communities.

READ MORE from Tell Congress to Put Job Seekers’ Needs above Partisan Differences

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) has noted concerns that the skills gap makes it difficult for employers to fill jobs with qualified workers and that the more than 50 federal job training programs present a complicated maze for job seekers to navigate. In response to these concerns, Rep. Foxx has introduced the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act, which proposes to eliminate 35 job training programs into a single one-size-fits-all block grant to states. Tell Congress to set aside old disagreements to build upon the strengths of existing programs to develop a broad workforce system that serves employers and businesses, serves people, and contributes to building stronger families and communities.

READ MORE from Tell Congress to Put Job Seekers' Needs above Partisan Differences

Goodwill Industries of Central Texas (Austin) is on the road to opening a charter school aimed at helping people over age 25 earn high school degrees. If the Texas State Board of Education accepts the application, the Excel Center will open its doors in August 2014 at the Goodwill Community Center in Austin.

READ MORE from Austin Goodwill Seeks to Open Charter School to Help Adults Earn High School Diplomas

Last week, Speaker of the House John Boehner’s so-called “Plan B” failed to attract sufficient Republican support. Members of Congress soon headed home for the Christmas holiday with the nation’s economic future still in question. Will congressional leaders and President Obama find a way to agree to a deficit reduction deal that averts a plunge over the fiscal cliff? Or will we take that plunge? While the question about the fiscal cliff remains uncertain, Goodwill has been on the front lines since 1902, working to build stronger communities, and it will continue to urge Congress to protect investments that leverage Goodwill’s efforts to help people find jobs and advance in careers.

READ MORE from Some Certainty in an Uncertain Time

This week, Congress reconvened in a lame-duck session in order to wrap up unfinished business. Its most pressing responsibility is finding a solution to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years in order to avoid automatic spending cuts that will otherwise take effect at the beginning of next year. Goodwill supporters can take action now by urging Congress to support a balanced and bipartisan approach to deficit reduction.

READ MORE from Tell Congress to Remember Key Job Training Programs in Fiscal Cliff Discussions