Women’s History Month is celebrated from March 1 to March 31 every year, and it holds a special significance for Goodwill of North Georgia. As an organization that is committed to helping people find employment, Goodwill has made it a priority to connect women with new job opportunities.
Over the past five years, Goodwill of North Georgia has helped connect more than 53,000 women to new jobs through its 14 career centers and 17 career programs in areas such as hospitality, logistics, maintenance, environmental services, construction, and welding.
During this same period, the career services provided by Goodwill have trained more than 1,000 women in various skill development programs, with technology-related careers being the most popular choice, with 217 enrollments. Forklift training comes in second with 179 enrollments, followed by highway construction (140), welding (88), and supply chain management (55).
Rhonda Walby, a Georgia native, credits an algorithm for leading her to Goodwill. After taking time off from work to care for her children, she needed to return to work to support her family. Rhonda stumbled upon an ad for Advanced Medical Academy while searching for certification programs. She learned that she was eligible for SNAP Works funding, which meant she could earn her certification at no cost. With the help of Goodwill’s Cornelia Career Center, Rhonda secured a job at Commerce Pain Management for her clinical rotation and eventually received an offer to stay with the company.
Dominique Macklin, a single mother from Kennesaw, enrolled in the Goodwill Industries International Ignite Young Adult Reentry Partnership (YARP) grant, providing her with free Supply Chain Logistics training. Despite facing numerous challenges, she completed the program and found stable employment as a shipping specialist at Samuel, Sons, and Co. through a Goodwill Job Fair.
Goodwill of North Georgia has reported an 84% increase in female enrollment in non-traditional occupations since 2020. The organization is confident that this trend will continue, with a projected 10% year-over-year increase in women pursuing non-traditional careers over the next five years.
To ensure that female participants are well-prepared for new work cultures, Goodwill of North Georgia’s career services case managers provide additional support specific to women. This includes physical conditioning training to improve stamina for labor-intensive occupations, training on gender roles, culture, and professional advocacy that is appropriate in the workplace, as well as an overview of sexual harassment and anti-discrimination laws and employee rights.
In Fiscal Year 2023, Goodwill of North Georgia connected more than 10,500 women with new job opportunities.
To learn more about Goodwill of North Georgia’s Career Centers, please visit www.GoodwillNG.org.
