Goodwill of North Georgia (GoodwillNG.org) opened the Old National Career Center at the end of January and held its first job fair last month. Already job seekers are getting opportunities to connect with employers, and access to tools to increase their success during the hiring process.
The center specializes in helping candidates break down barriers to employment, including lack of work history, disabilities, underemployment and limited education. Through a host of free services, the center’s staff can assist individuals hindered by language barriers or criminal backgrounds, or simply help someone who’s been in the work world make a career change or connect to high-demand jobs in the area.
Last year in Fulton County, Goodwill of North Georgia served 5,850 job seekers and placed 2,477. The Old National Career Center is its 13th location in the region.
It’s a “comprehensive effort,” says Tenee Hawkins, a spokesperson for the organization. Once a job seeker registers at the Career Center, either in-person or online, the options are endless.
“We encourage people to come in and register,” said Hawkins. “Through that process we will gather info and determine how to help each job seeker. From there we can set them up with career coaches and they can register for all of our events.”
The Career Center offers a large suite of training programs and resources with the help of its extensive list of partners. Resume assistance, computer classes, mock interviews and skills assessments are all offered onsite. Online courses in everything from construction to hospitality are also available to help put job seekers on the path to certifications.
The Veterans Roundtable offers support for former
servicemembers transitioning into the civilian workforce. It provides a safe
space to network, share resources and provide peer-to-peer support. Plus,
participants can get interview coaching, help developing a civilian resume and
more.
The center even offers free tax preparation to anyone earning $60,000 or less.
The Career Center’s approach is far from cookie-cutter. The staff aims evaluate each job seeker and connect them to the resources that would be most beneficial for them. And that includes helping them to put their best foot forward during the center’s job fairs.
“We want to use the professional staff to help them prepare, know what to expect and know what to bring,” said Hawkins. “We want them to come in as they are and once they are registered, we can assign them to some career coaching sessions and get them the info they need to take advantage of the center’s calendar and services.”
The Career Center’s next multi-employer job fair will be held onsite on March 11. Employers will include the South Fulton Police Department, MARTA, Childcare Careers, The Success Learning Academy, G2 Secure Staff, TeamWRX, Zaxby’s and Waffle House, among others. A Department of Juvenile Justice hiring event will also take place on March 18.
The Old National Career Center is located at 6175 Old National Highway. Services are available to job seekers ages 16 and up. To register for job fairs, training and other programs, visit https://goodwillng.org/find-a-career/career-connector/.
Photo Credit: Goodwill of North Georgia
