Causes: Goodwill Industries, Job Training, Vocational Counseling

Mission: Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan strives to provide the means for people with disabilities and disadvantaging conditions to secure positions in the workforce and become contributing members of society by offering training and employment opportunities.

Programs: The Retail Skill Center (a combination store and classroom) is where participants will learn skills from the six modules established by The Retail Trade Federation and Goodwill International. Understanding these six modules is the benchmark for success in retail sales.

The participants will learn how to provide personal customer service, the selling and promotion of products, monitoring inventory, maintaining store appearance, the protection of company assets, and teamwork. Participants will receive hands-on training and assessment will be done on the sales floor as well as in the classroom

Classes will be held Monday - Friday, for 4 hours/day. Training totals 120 hours, with 72 hours of Classroom time and 48 hours of Work Experience (paid at $7.15/hr)

 Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan provides employment and training services to individuals with disabilities or other barriers to employment. These include computer training, English as a second language, occupational skills training, accredited career evaluation, customized employment testing and assessment for employers, a paid work experience within our organization through assembly work, store work or custodial work. We also provide automobiles for those who will lose their jobs without transportation. We are the largest food bank location for Loaves and Fishes.