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The Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grants program is a five-year, $50 million commitment to help prepare 50,000 people for skilled trades careers. These Gable Grants directly support community and technical colleges, community-based nonprofit organizations and national nonprofit partners with strong local presence.  

The Lowe’s Foundation today announced Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is the recipient of an $800,000 award to support its Construction & Trade Skills training program. 

“We are grateful to Lowe’s for the longstanding support for our mission services at Goodwill, especially for our career training programs since our Construction Skills Training Center was built in 2019,” said Chris Jackson, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “This grant is an incredible show of support and trust in the work that we do to help people acquire new skills and launch meaningful careers so they can achieve more for themselves, and their families. These funds will allow Goodwill to equip more community members with in-demand construction skills to not only meet the need for qualified talent in Charlotte, but to provide access to careers with great earning potential, health and other benefits so more people in our community can prosper.” 

There is an acute skilled trades workforce crisis in the US, with the Associated Builders and Contractors estimating that 501,000 new skilled tradespeople will be needed on top of the normal pace of hiring to meet demand this year alone.  

Training programs like the ones offered at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont are proven to help participants find success – in fact, in 2023, more than 100 graduates launched their construction careers, with an average starting wage of $20.98 per hour, with 90 percent of them retaining those positions.  

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont will use its $800,000 grant to scale its Construction & Trade Skills training program that not only offers industry-recognized credentials and skills, but also stability services, personalized coaching and access to employers to launch successful construction careers.  

During a check presentation at the Lowe’s Tech Hub this morning, Jackson said, “This support for our Construction & Trade training program is enabling us to expand the number of classes and cohorts to support more than 600 people with construction training in the next two years in HVAC, electrical, carpentry and construction basics.” 

He explained that this grant will also allow the nonprofit to offer access to additional online learning material, and increase virtual and augmented reality training offerings – as they shift to more dynamic and interactive learning models to support people’s unique learning styles. 

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is one of two nonprofits in Charlotte to receive a Gable Grant, which is part a larger $6 million investment from the Lowe’s Foundation to 10 total nonprofits across the country offering innovative skilled trades programming. 

New Outlet Store in Rock Hill

Goodwill is opening its second outlet store in the region this April, and we are looking for new teammates to join us in frontline positions! Second Editions: A Goodwill Outlet Store demonstrates stewardship and sustainability at its highest level, ensuring that donations made to Goodwill do not go to waste. This new outlet store will be located in Rock Hill, SC.

Get Hired on the Spot

Are you or someone you know looking for exciting work with purpose? Come to our upcoming hiring event where you could get an offer on the spot! The hiring event will take place on Tuesday, March 12, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at York Technical Community College in the Baxter Hood Center.

We’ll be hiring for the following positions at this event:

Pay & Benefits

As a Goodwill team member, you not only get to do meaningful work, but you also receive great benefits and competitive pay – with frontline team members starting at $15/hour. In addition to great benefits (like comprehensive health insurance, vacation and sick pay), team members also receive access to free career development and job training programs, opportunities for career advancement and more.

Apply Beforehand

If you’re interested in attending our hiring event, we encourage you to save time by filling out an application beforehand. Note: You can filter the jobs by typing “Rock Hill Second Editions” into the search bar.

We’re Staffing Our New Albemarle Crossing Store

Goodwill is opening a new retail location in Albemarle in February, and we are looking for new teammates to join us in both frontline and management positions.

Get Hired on the Spot

Are you or someone you know looking for exciting work with purpose? Come to one of our upcoming hiring events, where you could get an offer on the spot!

We’ll be hiring for the following positions at these events:

Pay & Benefits

As a Goodwill team member, you not only get to do meaningful work, but you also receive great benefits and competitive pay:
In addition to great benefits (like comprehensive health insurance, vacation and sick pay), team members also receive access to free career development and skill training courses, opportunities for career advancement and more.

Apply Beforehand

If you’re interested in attending one of our hiring events, we encourage you to save time by filling out an application beforehand. Note: You can filter the jobs by typing “Albemarle Crossing” into the search bar.

HIRING EVENT FOR NEW CHARLOTTE STORE

Goodwill is opening a new retail store in the Shopton Square shopping center in Charlotte early next year, and we’re hosting a hiring event to fill frontline and management positions! Are you or someone you know looking for exciting work with purpose? Come to our upcoming hiring event where you could get an offer on the spot!

WHY WORK AT GOODWILL?

As a Goodwill team member, you not only get to do meaningful work that makes our community better, but you also receive great benefits and competitive pay.

In addition to great benefits (like comprehensive health insurance, vacation and sick pay), team members also receive access to free skills training, free career coaching, opportunities for career advancement and more.

APPLY BEFOREHAND

If you’re interested in attending the hiring event, we encourage you to fill out an application beforehand. Note: You can filter the jobs by typing “Shopton” into the search bar. Once your application has been received, someone from our HR team will reach out to you to provide additional information.

Goodwill is hosting a donation drive in partnership with the Charlotte Knights! Stop by and donate your gently-used clothing, electronics, household items and more.

DETAILS

ENTER TO WIN PRIZES

When you donate your gently-used items, not only will you be giving back to your community – you’ll also be entered to win an XBOX One or a 50-inch flat screen TV!

THANK YOU, VETERANS!

In honor of Veterans Day, any veterans, military members or their dependents who donate will receive a coupon for 25% off donated goods at any Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont retail store, excluding its outlet store, Second Editions. Donors must show their veteran/military/dependent ID at the donation drive to receive the coupon.

YOUR DONATIONS MAKE AN IMPACT!

You can feel good about donating to Goodwill because your gently-used items will do good for our community! The revenue we generate from selling items in our stores funds career training courses, job search support, family stability services and more – all of which we offer free of charge to thousands of people in our community each year, including our own team members.

As employers seek to support the growth and development of their employees through clear career pathways, comprehensive benefits packages and/or wage increases, it is important for employers to be aware of some of the unintended consequences of some of these decisions. Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is one of four employers piloting the CLIFF Employer Tool developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

The CLIFF Employer Tool is designed to analyze the financial implications of wage increases and seek innovative solutions to lessen the impact of the benefits cliff on economic growth and mobility for lower wage earners.

Goodwill has initiated the use of the tool through its Pathways Program. Pathways Career Navigators introduced the tool to 117 participants, with 25 actively utilizing it. These individuals engaged in thoughtful discussions, understanding the tool’s benefits, potential impact on benefits reduction, and insights into public assistance complexities, aiding their career and financial choices.

Feedback from participants underscored the CLIFF Employer Tool as a valuable resource for plotting career paths, financial planning and family expansion. Despite potential benefit reductions, participants expressed dedication to career growth, adjusting strategies to address possible financial challenges. Noteworthy was their comprehension of the balance between wage increases and reduced benefits, encompassing considerations like Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), SNAP, Medicaid, and increased housing costs.

The successful initial phase propels the Pathways team to extend the tool’s implementation to 30-45 more participants. The accomplishment highlights the tool’s potential in empowering individuals to make knowledgeable decisions about their careers and finances, skillfully navigating the intricacies of public benefits.

WE’RE STAFFING OUR NEW LAURINBURG STORE

Goodwill is opening a new retail location in Laurinburg later this year, and we are looking for new teammates to join us for both frontline and management positions! 

GET HIRED ON THE SPOT

Are you or someone you know looking for exciting work with purpose in the Laurinburg area? Come to our upcoming hiring event where you could get an offer on the spot!

WHY WORK AT GOODWILL?

As a Goodwill team member, you not only get to do meaningful work, but you also receive great benefits and competitive pay.

In addition to great benefits (like comprehensive health insurance, vacation and sick pay), team members also receive access to free career development and skill training courses, opportunities for career advancement and more. If you want to work with purpose, join us at our retail hiring event!

APPLY BEFOREHAND

If you’re interested in attending, we encourage you to fill out an application beforehand. Note: You can filter the jobs by typing “Laurinburg” into the search bar. Once your application has been received, someone from our HR team will reach out to you to provide additional information.

This marks the nonprofit’s first new store and donation location of the year as it raises funds to create opportunities for upward mobility.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (August 21, 2023) – Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont will continue its growth plan with the opening of its first new store of 2023. The nonprofit will open its newest location in Belmont Friday, August 25, 2023. Last year, Goodwill added six new locations to the region, and relocated its store in Shelby, a total of seven new retail stores in the Charlotte region.

This marks the nonprofit’s 32nd store in the greater Charlotte region. The new store in Belmont brings 30 new jobs to the region and has an estimated economic and fiscal impact of $3.4 million annually, including wages and sales.

The grand opening of this new retail store is an opportunity for the community to be among the first to experience the new Goodwill location and shop for great deals at an affordable price – all while helping their neighbors improve their lives. The nonprofit is expanding throughout its region to provide more opportunity for local residents to reuse and repurpose items that help to create equitable access to career opportunities for people in our region. Shopping and donations allow Goodwill to create job opportunities and fund career training and employment services that are offered at no cost. 

At 9:45 a.m., a ceremonial ribbon cutting will begin with representatives from Goodwill and Belmont. Doors will open for shopping at 10 a.m.

The new 25,000-square-foot retail store is located at 6507 Wilkinson Blvd. Belmont, NC 28012. Regular hours for the new store are Monday, Wednesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Tuesday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Senior Day – 55+ save 25%) and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

The first 200 guests in line will receive a free foldable shopping tote to collect their great finds while supporting the nonprofit’s efforts to reduce plastic waste. Shoppers can look forward to prizes and giveaways, including the chance to find dozens of golden giveaway cards hidden throughout the store, offering $5, $10 or $20 off their purchase opening weekend.

The new store will provide a location for local residents to donate and shop to reuse and repurpose items while supporting the Goodwill mission to help people advance their careers and improve their lives through free career training and employment services.

“As we continue our growth in the region, shoppers will notice our expansion into communities where we have not traditionally served before,” said Jose Luis, chief operating officer at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “Adding a location in Belmont makes shopping and donating even more convenient for our supporters in the area to donate and repurpose their items, and discover great finds that do good. Our shoppers and donors play a vital role in driving the Goodwill mission, and we’re so grateful for their support.”

Since 1965, Goodwill has been helping individuals and families in the region earn new skills, discover new careers, change their circumstances and improve their lives. The local organization’s mission is to build pathways that help people pursue the life they want to achieve. In 2022, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont provided support to more than 7,700 people. Training programs are regularly enrolling and are currently focused in construction, customer service, IT and workplace skills. 

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is partnering with CareerWork$® and The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) to train and upskill people in the Charlotte region for careers in banking.

The Charlotte region is home to more than 91,000 financial services jobs, and it is the second-largest banking center in the nation. With no other workforce development programs dedicated to the finance industry in the greater Charlotte region, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is expanding its training division to offer the BankWork$® program so that people have equitable access to career development opportunities.

“We envision a community where equitable access to career opportunities is available for all,” said Chris Jackson, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “We recognize that skilled training is an essential part of helping to build our growing city, and having these skills can lead to in-demand, high-potential careers. We’ve come together with CAEL and CareerWork$ to make the path to these careers possible in one of our community’s top industries.”

CareerWork$ partners with experienced workforce development and nonprofit organizations, like Goodwill, around the country to operate their programs. On a national level, the BankWork$ program has a 73% placement rate.

“CareerWork$ is thrilled to partner with Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont to bring BankWork$ to the Charlotte region. Through this partnership, we hope to help many in the community launch careers with excellent growth potential in the financial services industry,” said Ranko Fukuda, interim executive director.

BankWork$ is an eight-week intensive workforce services program that will give people the skills, access, and coaching needed to succeed and grow in banking careers—from understanding the financial services workplace to bank regulations, bank products, cash handling, and processing customer transactions. Graduates are prepared for roles such as: Associate Banker, Branch Banker, Client Services Representative, Lead Teller, Member Service Consultant, Personal Banker, Relationship Banker, Teller, and Call Center Representative.

Additionally, the program will engage prospective employers in the community during the duration of the program to provide industry insight and integrated recruitment opportunities.

“We look at the local business needs and participant opportunities to prosper when developing training programs for our nonprofit,“ said Raquel Lynch, chief program officer for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “In addition to providing BankWork$ to the Charlotte community, participants enrolled in this program will also have access to family stability services, a Career Navigator and Employer Engagement Specialist for assistance with interpersonal skills, mock interviews, resume preparation, and help landing the job.”

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont uses the revenue generated from the sale of donations throughout our retail stores and online, philanthropic donors, and grants to provide employment, job placement, job training, and certifications and credentials for anyone looking to improve their skills and grow their careers. The BankWork$ program is also offered free of charge but will provide participants with a stipend of $15 an hour during their training to support them on their journey toward a new career.

“CAEL is grateful for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont’s leadership in bringing this much-needed short-term career training program to the Charlotte community through Truist Foundation’s Where It Starts: Build Better Careers initiative,” said Earl Buford, president of CAEL. “We’re excited to see how our partnership with Goodwill and CareerWork$ continues to unfold as we work together to create opportunities for more individuals in the Charlotte area to connect with good jobs in the financial services sector.”

by: Lily McMahan, Policy Research Intern at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont

Research has shown time and time again that benefits cliffs are one of the most prevalent barriers faced by working families to achieving economic stability and breaking the cycles of generational poverty. The benefits cliff puts families in a difficult position. While accepting a raise or promotion furthers career goals and provides more opportunity, individuals become de-incentivized to pursue these paths – feeding a family or paying medical bills are pressing needs generally aided by public benefits. Even so much as a 50-cent raise can push people abruptly out of their eligibility for benefits, resulting in the cliff effect.[1] Rather than providing a transitional aid to overcoming the loss of public benefits, in reality, the system creates a reliance on the benefits that any career advancement is actually more harmful to the financial well being of the family. Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont has launched an initiative called the Benefits Cliff Community Lab to confront these obstacles in North Carolina. Goodwill is one of many organizations who have identified this insufficiency in public benefits; across the country a variety of approaches, from advocacy to material transitional aid, are underway. Understanding what our neighbors across state lines are doing to combat the benefits cliff will provide more information, experience and connection as we work together to ease the impact of the cliff.

In our neighboring state of Tennessee, an initiative of the Tennessee Alliance for Economic Mobility (TAEM) called Our ChanceTN has identified the pressing need for public benefits reform. A $25 million grant received from federally allocated TANF funds administered by the state of Tennessee allows Our ChanceTN to pilot solutions for restructuring the TN Social Safety Net programs in seven counties in central Tennessee[2]. They have decided to approach the benefits cliff issue by providing a “transitional benefit which will be paid directly for food, childcare, housing, and health providers to increase families’ access to fresh food, childcare, housing, and health care when a family’s net resources decrease due to the benefits cliff.”[3] Additionally, family-centered coaching allows “participant families [to] define goals for every member of the family and receive consistent support from their dedicated coach to achieve those goals.” Eligible families in these seven counties are provided with two and a half years of financial coaching, monetary support, relevant resources during the transitional period out of the benefits program, access to education options and engagement with a benefits specialist.[4] Our ChanceTN is one of many organizations that have developed a benefits cliff calculator, which analyzes how much money each family will receive from the program to stabally transition them out of public assistance benefits.[5]

Massachusetts-based Economic Pathways MA Coalition focuses their approach towards advocacy for policy change. They are focused on the pilot initiative passed in a June 2022 Act. The program, which wrapped up at the end of last month, “test[s] whether a cash payment is an effective tool for the Commonwealth to close the cliff gap” during times of career advancement.[6] According to the organization, Maine, Minnesota, Colorado and Connecticut have all piloted similar, successful programs.[7] While the Economic Pathway Coalition’s main focus relates to advocacy, they also provide various tools and information about managing benefits cliffs for those individuals affected.

New York City’s Leap Fund “serves organizations nationwide with tools and resources to identify benefits cliffs, surface eligibility, and facilitate benefits cliff conversations for informed decision making.”[8] The program brings coaches together with people receiving public benefits within the organizations, helping educate as well as determining what cliffs will affect them and when they will occur. Leap Fund developed a calculator to help navigate the benefits cliff, including when people can expect to encounter and overcome it. They offer this service as a platform for coaching organizations to obtain and use in practice with individuals experiencing benefits cliffs.[9] From January to December of 2021, they ran a test program regarding helping coach people through the benefits cliff with their tools – in 15 different states with 40 different organizations participating. The coaches they work with provide financial, employment, housing, workforce development coaching as well as case managers and social workers. Through this program, Leap Fund found that 63% of the clients they worked with shared the fear of encountering a benefits cliff was enough to deter them from accepting a raise or promotion.[10] This underscores the importance of education and awareness about cliffs and strategic planning around cliffs. With Leap Fund’s help, 75% of their clients told Leap Fund they will go forth in some new career opportunity. Additionally, their work with benefits eligibility education enabled 44% of their clients to apply for a previously unreceived benefit.[11] Leap Fund offers this program to employers to reinforce the strength and stability of their workforce. Not only will they help employers understand how benefits cliffs affect people within the employer’s operation, Leap Fund works with the employees at those companies to assess their financial health and how to best approach the benefits cliffs they may be facing.

Finally, The Source is a Michigan-based organization that partners with employers to identify and meet the obstacles faced by their employees. This organization was founded out of a desire from Mark Peters, CEO of Butterball Farms, to identify patterns and overcome barriers, such as child care accessibility, which had increased turnover at his company. The Source partners with employers to help with workforce retention by identifying and problem-solving the challenges faced in the lives of their employees, so employers can promote internal growth and aid in the overcoming of barriers to this goal. The Source provides a resource navigator that works directly with employees to help identify and meet the needs of the employer’s workforce. The program is so effective that they announce to employers that working with The Source results, on average, in a 250% return on investment.[12] Benefits cliffs are often a challenge that The Source combats within individual companies, providing recommendations to employers about the best internal policies to adopt for reducing turnover and maintaining a thriving workforce.

The varying nature of the efforts of these organizations prove that the solution to overcoming benefits cliffs is multifaceted and requires many approaches. Easing the impact of cliffs can be done through advocacy work, as seen in the Economic Pathways Coalition and their piloting of a benefits cliff transitional support program. It also has a place in the human resources departments of corporate organizations, as Leap Fund and The Source have found that giving internal support to help educate employees and employers alike about benefits cliffs results in meaningful contributions for easing the cliff impact. Our ChanceTN proves there is a mathematical approach paired with personalized analytics and coaching that can be taken as well. As visibility around the benefits cliff grows and more organizations begin to address the issue – be it through political analysis, data collection, telling personal stories or imagining solutions – amplifying and sharing information between organizations will be crucial to working together to curb the benefits cliff through legislative change across the United States.

 

[1] Budget & Tax Center, “Addressing the benefits cliff for child-care subsidies in North Carolina,” Benefits Cliff Community Lab, accessed July 17, 2023, https://benefitscliffcommunitylab.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/BTC-Fact-Sheet_ChildCareAssistanceBenefitsCliff.pdf.

[2] “About,” Our ChanceTN, accessed July 17, 2023, https://ourchancetn.org/about.

[3] “About,” Our ChanceTN, accessed July 17, 2023, https://ourchancetn.org/about.

[4] “Eligibility,” Our ChanceTN, accessed July 17, 2023, https://ourchancetn.org/eligibility.

[5] “Calculate Your Transitional Benefit,” Tennessee Alliance of Economic Mobility, accessed July 17, 2023, https://beyondthecliff.com/TAEM.

[6] Massachusetts Legislation, Economic Pathways MA Coalition, accessed July 17th, 2023, https://economicpathwaysma.org/legislation.

[7] “Act relating to economic growth and relief for the Commonwealth,” The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, June 2022, https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2022/Chapter268.

[8] “Benefits Cliff Coaching Program Beta Program Learning and Insights,” Leap Fund, pg. 6, March 2022.

[9] “Benefits Cliff Coaching Program: Plan for the Future,” Leap Fund, accessed July 17, 2023, https://myleapfund.com/bccp.

[10] “Benefits Cliff Coaching Program Beta Program Learning and Insights,” Leap Fund, pg. 16, March 2022.

[11] “Benefits Cliff Coaching Program Beta Program Learning and Insights,” Leap Fund, pg. 19, March 2022.

[12] “Frequently Asked Questions,” The Source, accessed July 17, 2023, https://www.grsource.org/faqs.