Goodwill Industries and Lincoln Literacy Partner for Job Skills Education

Beginning March 1st, 2012 Goodwill Industries Serving Southeast Nebraska, Inc. began collaborating with Lincoln Literacy in an effort to help those with limited English proficiency acquire the skills needed to search for and maintain employment. Goodwill already helps individuals who face barriers to employment at their Job Connection computer lab, located in Workforce Development. At the lab, individuals may receive assistance from employment specialists with resume and cover letter creation, online applications, and classes or tutorials for basic computer skills, typing and data entry. Lincoln Literacy’s current Workforce Readiness English program teaches students vocabulary, equips them with job-seeking skills, and prepares students for participation in the Nebraska workforce. Through a grant given by Goodwill, it is hopeful that the two organizations will be able to serve more people through these programs.

“This partnership is a win-win-win,” said Lincoln Literacy Executive Director Clayton Naff. “It will benefit Lincoln Literacy, Goodwill, and most importantly, the refugee and immigrant families who are our students.”

The goal of this partnership is to create a smooth transition between the programs and workforce for students. Selected Workforce Readiness students will undergo a brief training session and be personally guided through the registration process at the One Stop Career Center, where Goodwill provides a variety of employment services. “It can be difficult to navigate through two separate programs, especially for students learning English,” said Naff. “Working together, we can make sure that our students have a smooth transition and that they are able to take full advantage of all of the services available.”