Goodwill Industries of Central Texas - Operation: GOODJOBS - Helping Those Who've Served to Succeed

Workforce and Education Readiness Continuum (WERC) wercaustin.com

We agree: the men and women who bravely serve our country deserve every opportunity to succeed when they return home. Too many service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are finding it difficult to secure good jobs so they can support themselves and their families. In 2010, there were more than 20 million veterans in the United States. That number is increasing every day as troops come home from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Under current plans, at least 1,000,000 men and women will leave military service in the next five years. We should start preparing for this influx of new workers in the job market.

That's why Goodwill of Central Texas is proud to be one of three Goodwill agencies in the country selected to participate in a pilot program that will empower military veterans and their families with the tools they need to succeed in the workplace and at home. The innovative program, known as Operation: GoodJobs, is being supported by a $1 million grant from the Walmart Foundation. Goodwill of Central Texas is excited to work with a broad array of partners throughout our community to help ensure that our veterans and their families have every opportunity to succeed. Operation: GoodJobs will assist veterans with job training and placement services, but also plan for each participant's continued success by designing individualized, holistic plans that encompass the needs of veterans' entire families and will help ensure long-term financial stability. By convening, collaborating with and leveraging strategic partners in the community, Operation: GoodJobs will equip veterans and military families here in the Central Texas area to successfully transition into the workforce, while preparing for future careers. Each participant in the Operation: GoodJobs program will receive a complete career assessment and an individualized development plan that will encompass a range of family needs, from basic needs, like nutrition and shelter, to specific job training identified in the assessment process. Veterans will be encouraged to include their spouses and other family members in the intake process so that Goodwill can holistically support veterans' entire families' personal and financial goals.

America's veterans return home as proven leaders who have demonstrated their work ethic and commitment to achieving results as part of a team. Addressing the challenges of our veterans and their families must be a national priority, a local priority - our priority. After our country was attacked on September 11, 2001, these young men and women stepped forward to serve. They volunteered to put on the uniform knowing the dangers that come with military service.

At Goodwill, we believe that every person deserves the chance to earn economic self-sufficiency through the power of work. We share Walmart's vision of a country where every veteran has a chance to succeed economically and support his or her family. Making that vision a reality starts today, right here in Central Texas. If you are a veteran or member of a military family, or know someone who could benefit from these services, please contact ogj@austingoodwill.org and ask about Operation: GoodJobs.

These young men and women stood up for us. Now it’s our turn to stand up for them.

Funding provided by
Walmart