Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont, Inc.

The Gateway to Employment Retail Training program is an intensive entrepreneurial 12-week training program that focuses on the particular needs of individuals who experience barriers to employment
It was created and facilitated by Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires offer practical knowledge and a hands-on experience in the retail sales/customer service geared toward individuals with barriers to gainful employment. The program is offered in conjunction with the RISE Up program provided by the National Retail Federation (NRF), which includes coursework on Retail Industry Fundamentals. Participants will receive certification from the nationally recognized RISE Up program. This program includes hands on training/coaching to gain the hard skills related to retail, thereby arming them with the hard and soft skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the workplace. In addition, participants receive help in resume building, interview skills and applying for jobs online at the end of the program.

The Gateway to Employment Custodial Training program is an intensive 8 week custodial program to be offered 3 times per year with 4-6 students per class that focuses on the particular needs of individuals who experience generational poverty. There is a 30 billion-dollar market for commercial janitorial services in the United States. Office cleaning represents 61% of that $30 billion, or just over 18 billion dollars. Based on this information, we concluded that there was a significant need for a custodial training program. In addition, a custodial program is a good fit with our Goodwill Mission – “To help community members with barriers to employment attain independence and self-sufficiency, gain confidence and enhance their quality of life through vocational, education, work-training and other support services”. This training program is a blend of classroom instruction along with hands-on, supervised training within Goodwill facilities. The program includes CPR/First Aid Certification, Blood Borne and Air Borne Pathogen Certification as well as Soft Skills Boot Camp Certification.