There is an ever-growing digital-skills gap. It’s a grave concern, but there are also opportunities … [+]
With all of the upheaval happening in the world, we could use some uplifting and positive news. To offer a ray of hope in an otherwise dark time, with the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia, we turned to Steve Preston, the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International.
For nearly 120 years, Goodwill has been a leading workforce provider, helping people empower themselves with the skills and job support services they need to thrive. Goodwill, among other philanthropic endeavors, helps individuals and communities build brighter futures through the power of work.
The organization is usually thought of as the thrift shop. However, Goodwill offers much more. The iconic nonprofit is a major provider of workforce development and skills training. In a wide-ranging interview, Preston shared the organization’s mission. In collaboration with employers and partners, Goodwill helps underserved individuals obtain training and upskilling. In this new tech-driven economy, Preston is focused on teaching digital skills, so that people can find a good job and develop long-term careers.
As technology is the dominant trend for the foreseeable future, it’s important for folks to at least learn the basics to become competitive in this new economy. To future-proof the longevity of your career, you need to accept this reality and take actions to ensure that you acquire the necessary skills and tools to keep up with the fast-moving, online digital world.
There is an ever-growing digital-skills gap. It’s a grave concern, but there are also opportunities to improve the imbalance between the needs of companies and available talent. With businesses around the world rapidly transitioning to digital-first models, the demand for employees with the requisite digital skills has soared and there is a dire need for global investment to close the digital skills gap.
Salesforce, the global cloud-based software company headquartered in San Francisco, recently published its Global Digital Skills Index, which reveals a growing global digital-skills crisis and the urgent need for action. The study shows that more than ever, businesses must work closely with governments and community stakeholders to ensure that training scales up to match digital demand and accelerate recovery and growth.
To both help the needs of businesses and for people to learn marketable skills, Goodwill offers digital training to help job seekers build skills from basic to advanced levels. The well-regarded American agency provides support ranging from basic introductory computer literacy skills to coding. The goal is to offer the training and personal hand-holding help to empower a person to find a digital job. To achieve this ambitious goal, Goodwill partnered with high-profile progressive corporations.
A person who goes through the program can earn certificates from Google, which shows that when seeking out a new job, they have the appropriate training and background. These accreditations include Google IT Support Professional certificate, CompTIA certifications, GSuite certificates and more. The program requires a commitment and determination made by the trainee.
Goodwill serves a diverse population. Over 80% of the people have a high-school degree or less. There is a real chance for this cohort to move forward in life with the benefit of the right kind of skills training and support.
Many of the people served are going through transitions—some who have lost their jobs and veterans who have left the service. There are also those who have specific challenges. For instance, about 50,000 people who self-identified as having been incarcerated were involved with the program. There are also a large number of people who have disabilities, experiencing poverty and homelessness. Nearly 60% self-identify as racial or ethnic minorities.
With such a diverse group of people, training is based upon the specific needs and goals of the individual. The organization analyzes their current level of skills. A person doesn’t have to depend solely on online teaching. Offering personalized support is an important part of the process.
After succeeding in the program and finding a new job, they’ll share their journey. When they tell their story, they’re thankful for the career counselor or the instructor who stood by them all the way.
Preston shared an anecdote about a woman named Chelsea Rucker, who graduated from the learning program. Rucker had been homeless with her two daughters. The Goodwill student attested, “Where I grew up, people didn’t talk about career paths.” She was appreciative of someone caring enough to help her realize her dreams. Rucker was grateful that within a relatively short period of time, she’d successfully navigated the digital-skills program. However, this wasn’t the end of her story. Rucker ultimately landed a good job and said, “I’ve come this far. I’m going for the stars. I’ve got a future now.”
Diana Korzen is a military spouse who has often moved around due to her spouse’s military career. Before coming to Goodwill, she experienced challenges finding employment due to her lack of a degree or certification and inconsistent employment history.
To overcome these barriers, Diana enrolled in training programs offered at Eglin Air Force Base to obtain professional certifications and to help her gain employment wherever she and her family might later relocate to.
At Goodwill, Diana has completed the Google IT Support Professional Certificate program and several other digital literacy courses. She is currently enrolled in the Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate program. Because she can complete her courses online, Diana has been able to train while simultaneously working and attending college full time.
In addition to accessing training opportunities, Diana received in-person job search assistance and other virtual services at Goodwill. She ultimately obtained employment on the military base as a result of the IT training and certification and the other digital literacy courses that she completed. With her government position, Diana will be able to transfer her work to the next base where her spouse is assigned, and she will be exposed to more opportunities in the IT industry as she moves around the world.
Goodwill partners with public and private entities, including Google, Coursera and job aggregator Indeed. The pandemic, which significantly impacted both people and jobs, prompted Goodwill to launch a new five-year strategic initiative called “Rising Together.” The lofty goal is as follows:
Goodwill, in partnership with Google, provides digital skills training through a program called the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator. The program aims to mobilize up to 126 local, community-based Goodwill organizations, as they equip more than 1 million people with expanded and enhanced digital skills training over the course of three years.
Other partnerships include Coursera. Through its social-impact program, the learning and educational site provides 2,000 scholarships to those hard-hit by the economic turndown, including people who are impacted by the criminal justice system, veterans and youth learners. Scholarship recipients will have free access to 4,000 courses, as well as hands-on projects and professional certificates that teach job-relevant skills across business, technology and data science.
Job site Indeed will help job seekers who are overlooked or face challenges to finding work with skills-based assessments, job seeker support and employer hiring events. Indeed will work with Goodwill on a fellowship for women who have had to leave the workforce or were reduced to part-time work due to Covid-19 (either voluntarily or involuntarily).
Goodwill’s collaboration with Indeed will also include the launch of the Indeed + Goodwill Digital Resource Guide, which will equip Goodwill organizations with best practices and recommendations on how to help people find jobs within its own organization or other employers.
Google will continue to support Goodwill in its efforts to deliver digital-skills training across the U.S. through programs, which help job seekers prepare for in-demand jobs in less than six months—without the need for a college degree or prior experience. Since 2017, more than 100 local Goodwill organizations have implemented the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator in their communities, equipping more than 1 million people with digital skills and placing more than 299,000 of these individuals into employment.
Ride-sharing-app company Lyft will continue investing in its LyftUp Jobs Access program, which launched in 2019 with a coalition of partners, including Goodwill, to provide individuals access to transportation they need to get to an interview, job training and/or the first weeks of work. To date, the program has supported job seekers with access to tens of thousands of rides.
The organization is always open to seeking businesses and individuals to help out with the good causes that Goodwill is working on.
