Goodwill Industries of Chesapeake and more than 500 companies in the region have established win-win relationships in which Goodwill provides qualified career employees through its Job Readiness Training program and the companies offer these individuals the opportunity to excel. CVS and 7/11 provide two excellent case studies in which Goodwill trainees have taken career positions as sales associates, pharmacy techs, and more. The Job Readiness Training program, which launched in 2010, goes beyond the blind application for an unfamiliar position, a hurdle that often challenges those facing barriers to employment. Each year, Goodwill places 3,500 people into jobs at CVS, 7-Eleven, and other companies. “You have to want to really, really advance yourself,” explains Jasmine, a recent Goodwill trainee and CVS hire, “not just in a job, but in a career path. Make sure you really want to put in the time because it’s worth it in the end.” Like many of her peers, Jasmine entered the Baltimore Job Readiness Training program lacking the skills necessary for basic employment. Personable and bright, she had never prepared a successful resume. Goodwill’s Job Readiness Training instructors not only taught her how to compose a proper resume but also provided specific information about what a CVS manager would be looking for in that resume. Managers from CVS participate in mock interviews provided by the Job Readiness Training program. Retired HR personnel from CVS work directly with potential candidates through the program. In 2010, Sam Abney, the Goodwill business specialist who leads the CVS and 7-Eleven hiring partnerships, began the youth outreach program by teaching young adults how to work in merchandising. He quickly realized that a spokesperson from a real-world retail store would bring invaluable work and life skills to his program. He approached CVS to teach merchandizing skills to his trainees. By 2014, CVS had formed a symbiotic relationship with Goodwill, instructing youth and adult students in how to craft a resume, dress for an interview, and speak with interviewers. The two organizations, each known for its prominent roles in the inner city community, realized they were onto something. Soon, 12 Job Readiness Training participants moved from mock interviews to actual interviews for career positions within CVS. Nine of these individuals landed careers at a local CVS retailer, whereas three others sought employment elsewhere. “Today we have 21 Goodwill Readiness Training graduates working as pharmacy techs and sales associates at CVS retailers from the inner city to outer county,” Abney says. “We now have people employed at CVS who want to come in and work with our new participants so they can start on their own career path.” The Goodwill-CVS relationship contains many nuances. For example, to obtain a pharmacy tech position, a candidate must successfully pass an exam, a daunting task for many Goodwill trainees. Although several have passed, CVS arranged to hire those who failed the exam as sales associates with the promise of cross-training within the store. This way, employees receive onsite vocational training that may result in an opportunity to pass the exam in the future. “The wording in this program is extremely important,” Abney explains. “Our trainees for CVS and other businesses must make the mental transition from going after a job to launching a career.” According to Abney, this simple paradigm shift changes the way his graduates look at their jobs, themselves and, critically, their roles in their community. “Our district manager, his first words are always, ‘Call Goodwill,’ any time we have an opening,” explains 7-Eleven assistant manager Ashley Pitcock. “The company’s people have a good work ethic, know how to do their job, and . . . they have the drive and the will to be something.” Pitcock herself graduated from Goodwill’s Job Readiness Training program two years ago. The former stay-at-home mom worked with Goodwill to revise her resume and conduct mock interviews. She also borrowed professional clothes for her interviews. She is currently training for a general manager position and aspires to being a district manager overseeing upward of 15 stores. Job commitment is especially important for enterprises such as CVS and 7-Eleven, stores serving the neighborhoods where most Goodwill trainees live. Goodwill-trained employees take pride in working in neighborhoods similar to their own, getting to know the local community and playing a part in strengthening a neighborhood at its core. The Goodwill-trained employee retention rate at CVS, 7-Eleven, and other companies reaches 96 percent. “Goodwill and CVS share the same mission,” continues Abney. “To bring prosperity into the community. We refine employees with work skills, they learn how to speak with customers and, as a result, the rough edges are removed. This creates a distinct employment advantage over someone walking in off the street. It also creates a great community member.” The Goodwill-CVS symbiosis provides a blueprint for other Baltimore companies to follow in their quest for career-driven employees. The CVS model demonstrates that graduates of the Goodwill Job Readiness Training program bring quality, dependability, and loyalty to the workplace. Goodwill maintains an ongoing relationship with all its trainees to reinforce these qualities. Trainees are asked to return to Goodwill regularly to provide progress reports, meet with mentors, and serve as a successful example like Jasmine—whose goal is to become a pharmacist—for current program attendees. A common signature among Goodwill staffers reads: “Every 38 seconds of every business day, a person served by Goodwill earns a job. Every 8 seconds, another person accesses Goodwill opportunities to build careers and strong families.” “Give Goodwill a chance,” concludes Abney, “We have quality employees who are well prepared for a career path and whom we will stand behind into the future.” Contact Goodwill Industries of Chesapeake, Inc. for more information.
