Goodwill® Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Invest in Job Training Programs

Goodwill Visits Capitol Hill to Educate Lawmakers and Their Staffs on Vital Career Development Programs

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May 15, 2014, 08:00 ET

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- More than one hundred Goodwill advocates from communities across the United States — including executives, workforce development professionals, volunteer board members and program participants — will meet with lawmakers and their staffs on Capitol Hill on May 15 to garner support for Goodwill's job training programs and career services. While the economy may be improving, there are still many people who are struggling to find work.

Goodwill provides job training and community-based services, such as financial education and mentoring, to people looking to gain employment or advance in their careers. Last year, more than 9.8 million people used Goodwill's career services to gain job skills and improve their economic stability. Goodwill will remind Congress of the importance of these services and the positive economic impact that Goodwill's job training programs have throughout the country.

"When Goodwill helps people find jobs, it has positive effects on their families and helps boost local economies," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "However, our friends and neighbors need more than just a pledge to create jobs. Goodwill knows that our communities need an integrated workforce development system that helps both workers and employers, and we call on lawmakers to support the systems that people need to build their careers."

The high-priority topics for Goodwill and the people it serves include:

Funding: Goodwill urges Congress to continue to fund job training programs that help youth, adults and older workers learn the career skills they need to find jobs. Specifically, Congress should maintain funding for programs that leverage Goodwill's nationwide infrastructure and expertise in job training. Such programs include the Workforce Investment Act's core funding streams, community college partnerships, and the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). Goodwill has been helping people find jobs for more than 110 years and is ready to work with employers and government agencies to connect them with workers ready to contribute to our economies.

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization: Goodwill supports the reauthorization of the WIA to help people receive the training they need to re-enter the workforce. The act was designed to create a system of one-stop career centers to provide job training for people who are unemployed, have low incomes, have disabilities and face other challenges to finding work. Goodwill is urging Congress to enact bi-partisan WIA reauthorization legislation that builds upon the strengths of the workforce system while preserving its core investments that aim to help individuals obtain the job skills they need to become self-sufficient and meet the needs of businesses across the country.

Goodwill's Advocacy Day takes place on May 15. Support Goodwill by joining in the Virtual Advocacy Day effort on social media. Follow @GoodwillCapHill on Twitter and reference #GoodwillOnHill in your tweets or encourage your friends to share or like posts on the Goodwill Industries International Facebook page, www.facebook.com/goodwillintl.

About Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada, with a presence in 14 other countries. Goodwill is one of America's top 25 most inspiring companies (Forbes 2013). Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 2,900 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com^®. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. Last year, more than 9.8 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 83 percent of its revenue directly into its programs and services. Visit Goodwill online at www.goodwill.org, Facebook.com/goodwillintl and Twitter.com/goodwillintl and @GoodwillCapHill.

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SOURCE Goodwill Industries International