Community Career Center Good For Community
WARSAW — Goodwill Industries provides numerous resources for the community. Two Community Career Centers in northern Indiana, Warsaw and Mishawaka, served 4,643 people in 2014.
Data presented by the U.S. Department of Labor shows a steady decline of those reporting unemployment in the Hoosier state. It does offer a comparable look at the local workforce.
According to Goodwill Community Career Center Manager Lauren Byers, many job vacancies in the county are due to lack of qualified personnel. “There are more jobs than people,” said Byers. Technical and skilled occupations as well as jobs with evening and weekend hours tend to be the positions left unfilled.
Goodwill Community Career Center partners with area employers and Work One, offering programs and a network to help put the unemployed on the path to gainful employment.
Understanding and efficiently using software in the digital age is a high priority for employers. Computer skills are needed in manufacturing as well as business explained Byers, “Everyone is using computers on the job.”
Keeping a proactive attitude toward the job market, Goodwill provides free set up and training for email and Microsoft utilities. “We can help people get set-up and earn a certification in Microsoft.” The online training is conducted much like an academic class, with activities and homework to complete. The program can be done at the center office or anywhere with Internet access. Current classes available are Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint. Earning a certification in the software suite is a way to document computer skill for potential employers. To enroll visit www.classes.gcflearnfree.org.
The most requested service at CCC, reported the manager, is resume building stating, “Resume is your marketing tool.” CCC staff provide one-on-one consultation to help turn skills and work history into a professional resume.
“The career center is not just for people looking for a job,” asserted Byers. “It’s for everyone.” Services such as faxing, copier and telephones for calling potential employers, are available daily during regular business hours.
Close community involvement allows Byers to network clients with education opportunities and employers. There are resources for employed, unemployed, teens, the disabled and ex-offenders. “If we can’t provide a service we will connect clients with someone who can,” said Byers.
Goodwill Community Center is located at 751 Anchorage Point Drive, Warsaw. For more information about client services visit www.goodwill-ni.org or call (574) 267-1656 to schedule a free consultation. Business hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.