As we head into the holiday season, we often reflect on the abundance many of us enjoy – good food, a time to celebrate with family and friends, the opportunity to express our gratitude for the blessings in our lives.
At Goodwill, one of those blessings is playing an active role in putting people to work, and one of the things we are enormously grateful for is our partners, who help make this possible.
One example of that is Arizona@Work – Coconino County. Located in The Job Connection in the East Flagstaff Goodwill, Arizona@Work is an amalgam of governmental and non-profit entities collaborating to connect local employers with job seekers. Some of our partners include the Coconino County Career Center, Veteran’s Resource Center, DES Workforce, Job Corps, and Coconino Community College.
Together we provide customized recruitment services, individual hiring events, community job fairs, workforce readiness classes, and apprenticeship programs for employees, as well as support for businesses through labor market insights, tax credits and incentives, and rapid-response services.
We are also grateful for new and expanding partnerships that allow us to continue to serve individuals with disabilities. In September, Goodwill eliminated contracts with the State of Arizona that previously allowed us to provide workforce development training to that community. But we quickly were able to begin or augment existing partnerships that are now allowing us to achieve similar goals.
Quality Connections in Flagstaff is working with us through a 90-day program which provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to work, earn a paycheck and gain skills they did not have before coming to Goodwill. Within Mohave County, we are working with Achieve Employment Services to provide similar services. These are just two examples of how Goodwill is continuing to fulfill its mission of helping people gain a skill set, become part of society, and contribute.
From the Goodwill Industries of Northern Arizona family to yours, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
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