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New Goodwill Graduates Ready and Able
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Students in the Banking & Customer Service class were among 80 Goodwill graduates on February 5.
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“It’s not about where you start, it’s about where you’re going,” said Felicia Hall Allen, the featured keynote speaker at Goodwill’s graduation ceremony on February 5 of more than 80 people who completed job training classes in Banking & Customer Service, Hospitality & Tourism, and Construction.
The ceremony, held at the Carole A. Hoefener Center in Uptown Charlotte, was a celebration of new, brighter futures for graduates, who received career development services in addition to classroom and hands-on training. Christine Meeks, a Hospitality & Tourism program graduate, addressed her fellow graduates following the certificate acceptance ceremony.
View photos from the graduation ceremony.
View television coverage of the graduation ceremony.
“Being a single woman with one income, it’s very critical for me to get a job,” Meeks said. “My unemployment is going to run out in late March or April. Despite the approaching realities, I feel rejuvenated, inspired, and prepared for the workforce thanks to my Goodwill training.”
Alan Dunwoody, a graduate of the Banking & Customer Service program, has already secured a job with Wells Fargo. Fellow graduate Oudone Ketbolom isn’t far behind.
“I used to work in manufacturing assembly,” said Ketbolom, also a graduate of the Banking & Customer Service program. “I don’t want to do that anymore.”
She was glad to have a fresh, well-organized resume and feels confident that her new skills—like knowing how to find and apply for jobs online—will help her attain a job doing something she enjoys. “I learned so much about how to interview, how to dress…it gives you hope,” she said.
Unique within the greater Charlotte area, Goodwill’s Occupational Skills Training programs are designed to give participants the skills, training, and resources needed to find and keep a job, leading to personal and economic independence. To date, Goodwill has graduated nearly 2,000 people.
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