Goodskills Career Builder
Four weeks of training with a real job in manufacturing or technology waiting for you at the end. Start on a path beyond minimum wage and start improving your life today.

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elping people prepare for, find, and keep good jobs is what Goodwill is all about. That’s why we created a new workforce readiness program called Goodskills Career Builder. 

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Goodskills serves underemployed and unemployed workers in Western New York, is designed to fill in-demand jobs and will help promote diversity and equity in the workforce.

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The program prepares participants for higher-wage jobs and careers in high-growth industries such as Advanced Manufacturing, Technology and Sales and Services. Goodskills connects individuals with employment opportunities that maximize their talents. It helps them thrive through clearly defined career pathways and build wealth for themselves and their families.

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Goodskills takes a comprehensive, individualized approach with workplace/career readiness training, coaching and support services to equip participants with the skills employers look for. Goodskills helps breakdown barriers to employment and offers career counseling for three years along with job placement services. When individuals participate in Goodskills they receive real life work experience, ongoing support from qualified and dedicated staff and opportunities to develop relationships in a diverse setting.

In addition to helping people prepare for, find, and keep good jobs – Goodskills offers related support services such as financial literacy training, onsite food pantry, clothing support, high school equivalency classes, tax preparation services, resource assistance, skills assessment, personal coaching, and referral to community partners for additional services.

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Job Seekers

Take Your First Step

If you are ready for a full-time permanent position and are serious about your future, please complete the contact form below and a team member will reach out to you regarding next steps.

Start Reaching Your Goals

Gain skills, training, and paid work experience through career readiness training, technical training, and help from our experienced career coaches.

Begin Your Career

Start on the path to earning a family-sustaining wage with your new skills. Goodwill will be behind you every step of the way.

Employers

Find Qualified, Motivated Employees

We identify motivated candidates with a desire for permanent employment. Our candidates have completed our readiness training and have been pre-screened to match your needs.

Reduce Recruitment Costs and Boost Retention

Goodwill is the place to turn if you’re looking for trained workers. A pool of qualified candidates completes our program each month, and our employer partners get a first look at successful participants and potential, valued employees. Our support team continues to follow hired candidates to remove any impediments to employment success.

Find Out More

Read our Overview Brief or the first in a series of reports on WNY’s workforce entitled “Tech and Buffalo’s Rebound”.

Or fill out the contact form below and a team member will reach out to you to discuss your needs.

Our success can be measured by the success of the people we serve — people like Carra, a single mom with learning disabilities and other challenges who is thriving in the very first job she has been able to retain and is continuing her college education; Jonathan, who never gave up on his goal of becoming the first person in his family to graduate from college; Edward, a US Air Force veteran who has transitioned into a successful career as an industrial electrician.

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Goodwill is proud to be CARF accredited. This credential demonstrates our commitment to excellence in the vocational rehabilitation field.

Background & Research

Goodskills Career Builder is a rigorously evaluated industry-driven model, which leverages next and best practices in workforce development based on research and data.

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Goodwill partnered with the UB Regional Institute (UBRI) to build the comprehensive model which includes sector specific recruitment, career readiness training, an experiential work environment, support services, technical training, job training and placement and post-employment coaching for career advancement. All of these components are critical to an individual’s success, long-term increased wages and ability to build generational wealth.

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Read more about Goodskills in our initial brief.

We’re also launching  a series of reports that focus on key aspects of workforce in WNY. View our first report entitled “Tech and Buffalo’s Rebound” here.