Triad Goodwill Industries
The Employment Empowerment Partnership is a first of its kind guaranteed income partnership aimed at expanding people’s employment and career opportunities. Held is proud to partner with Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina (Triad Goodwill) by providing $833 per month for twelve months to four people enrolled in Triad Goodwill’s career navigation services.
Throughout this partnership, Triad Goodwill’s career navigation staff is working alongside participants as they pursue their employment and career goals. This combination of regular income and career navigation support can provide people a safe foundation, a positive direction, and the care necessary for them to pursue their goals and improve their lives.
Triad Goodwill
In 1963, Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, also known as Triad Goodwill, opened its doors to provide career development services to Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Randolph and Rockingham counties. Helping people in their community find a job, or get a better job, is important because it’s a primary step in combating poverty.
They specialize in helping people who have barriers to employment, such as a disability, a lack of skills or work experience, or a recent release from incarceration, and offer a variety of classes and occupational training programs to empower people to achieve and sustain a level of independence so that they can participate more fully in life.
“Triad Goodwill’s mission is improving lives and enriching communities through the power of work. Our goal is to help people achieve long-term success and careers that can support themselves and their families,” explains Jessica Schultz, Vice President of Career Development Services.
Guaranteed Income
The Employment Empowerment Project seeks to increase employment opportunities and provide greater agency and social mobility to people already supported by Triad Goodwill. Based on the positive impact that direct cash transfers have on employment, we believe that regular, guaranteed income, along with Goodwill’s career navigation services, will provide vital support to participants and will empower them to expand their opportunities, pursue their goals, and better care for and receive care from their community.
Because of this financial support, someone working full-time can finally take a certification class to open up new opportunities. Someone else looking to take the first step in their career can find support in getting their resume together and feeling prepared for a job interview. Others can receive financial support to help navigate unforeseen challenges in the coming year. Whatever people might need, a foundation of guaranteed income and career navigation services will empower them to live their lives more fully and pursue better opportunities.
The Employment Empowerment Project
Held and Triad Goodwill are excited to launch The Employment Empowerment Project, a first of its kind guaranteed income project specifically aimed at expanding people’s employment and career opportunities. Upon launch, Held will provide $833 per month for twelve months to up to fifteen participants enrolled in Triad Goodwill’s career navigation services. Throughout the project, Triad Goodwill career navigation staff will work alongside participants pursuing employment and career goals.
All participants must be enrolled and actively engaged in Triad Goodwill’s career navigation services, skills training, or Careers on the Outside programming for at least 30 days, or employed by Goodwill for 90 days, as well as meet other program requirements. Once eligibility is determined, Triad Goodwill will refer participants to Held to begin receiving their guaranteed income.
Schultz is excited for the partnership with Held and the opportunity to enhance services through the Employment Empowerment Project. “This powerful project will provide people some breathing room to pursue their goals, while maximizing their efforts and introducing a whole new level of collaboration and support.”
Over the course of the yearlong program, UNC Greensboro’s Center for Housing and Community Studies (CHCS) will work with us to evaluate the project’s effectiveness and impact.
This project will change people’s lives and open up opportunities they didn’t imagine possible.
If you would like to give to support this project, click below.
