In order to fulfill its mission to put people to work, Goodwill of North Georgia and Easter Seals of North Georgia (ESNG) have been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Liz Blake Foundation. The funding will support career coaches, family navigators and employment training programs at both Goodwill and ESNG.
The Liz Blake Giving Fund aims to develop and assist pilot giving strategies that demonstrate significant and immediate impact and inform the future working of The Blake Family Foundation.
The partnership addresses the need for parents to earn a living wage while ensuring that their children receive quality childcare. The program’s long-term objective is to enroll 44 parents between 2023-2025 in a career training program offered by Goodwill or a child development associate program provided by ESNG, with no cost to the program participant.
In the 2023-24 academic year, 11 parents of children enrolled at ESNG centers in Dekalb and Fulton counties will enroll in either a Goodwill program or an ESNG child development associate credential program.
The program will provide parents with an ESNG family success advocate and a Goodwill case manager, a career navigator, an employment specialist, and a career pathways coach.
Participants will receive career training in high-demand industries, including IT, medical billing and coding, cybersecurity, construction, forklift operation, floor technology, custodial services, logistics and supply chain management, and more.
The program hopes to achieve the following outcomes:
- 85% of children will meet or exceed developmental expectations.
- 75% of the participants will complete either the CDA or Goodwill training program.
- 75% of the participants will be placed in a job that pays a living wage within three months of completing Goodwill’s job training program.
The program aims to boost adult earnings, reduce reliance on public aid, and improve outcomes for parents and their children by offering free career training.
