At Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, participants enrolled in the nonprofit’s tuition-free training programs also receive wraparound services. Participants are assigned an Employer Engagement Specialist and Career Navigator who help them with resumes, interviews and more.
Julie Salinas plays a crucial role in connecting training participants with meaningful employment opportunities. As an Employer Engagement Specialist for BankWork$, an eight-week training program that prepares participants for roles in the financial industry, she works diligently to build relationships with banking institutions, ensuring that program graduates have access to quality jobs. In this interview, Julie shares her passion for her work and the impact it has on participants and the community.
Q: Can you tell us about Goodwill’s employment engagement team and your role in the community?
Julie: Our team partners with employers to strategically align with our training programs. We work to advocate for our participants, helping them secure employment opportunities that match their skills and aspirations.
Q: What difference does your role make for participants?
Julie: It makes a tremendous impact because participants don’t have to navigate the job search alone. They have a dedicated advocate who can send referrals directly to employers, highlighting them as strong candidates. That extra support can turn a resume into real employment opportunities, and that’s a game-changer.
Q: What inspires you most about this work?
Julie: Oh my gosh – it can be emotional, and sometimes I even tear up thinking about the impact. Coming from corporate, where everything was about the company, and transitioning to a role that focuses on people – it’s truly rewarding. I get to help people build careers, not just find jobs.
Q: You go above and beyond to foster relationships with banks. What does that look like?
Julie: I make it a priority to visit banks in person, drop in unannounced, meet branch managers, and introduce our program. I grab their business cards and follow up with success stories and partnership opportunities. I also look for networking events – though they’re rare in banking, I dig to find them because those connections make a difference.
Q: How do employers react when you introduce Goodwill’s mission to them?
Julie: They’re always surprised! The first thing they think of when they hear “Goodwill” is a thrift store, so when I explain the job training and career navigation programs, they’re shocked and impressed. That often leads to partnerships beyond BankWork$ as they learn how we can support their hiring needs.
Q: What impact has BankWork$ had on job placement in the community?
Julie: Seeing the numbers and success stories is incredible – knowing that people are getting hired and launching careers makes all the effort worth it. I work with an amazing team, and together we’re helping people build lasting career pathways.
Q: How long have you been with Goodwill, and how has your journey evolved?
Julie: I’ve been with Goodwill for four years but worked at another Goodwill location for two years before that. I started in career navigation, helping people secure jobs, and then transitioned to employment engagement, where I now focus on strengthening employer partnerships.
Q: What’s your biggest hope for the future?
Julie: That we keep pushing forward and never stop. This work changes lives, and I want to see it grow even more.
Through her dedication, Julie is not just creating job opportunities – she’s building a career pipeline and changing lives. Her relentless efforts to advocate for Goodwill’s participants ensure that more individuals gain access to stable, rewarding careers in the banking industry and beyond.
Love is about growing together, supporting each other and building a future side by side. This Valentine’s Day, we’re highlighting Olena and Bogdan Nikolenko, a couple whose journey through Goodwill’s tuition-free training programs is helping to shape the future of their family and paving the way for their continued success. Their story is a testament to how Goodwill’s programs help people in our community advance their careers, strengthen their families and thrive. Keep reading to learn how Olena and Bogdan are turning their shared ambition into success!
What inspired you to take a tuition-free training program at Goodwill, and which program(s) did you take?
- We arrived in the United States two and a half years ago from Ukraine as green card holders. The first year was not easy, because starting life from scratch is very difficult – a new country, finding a new job, another language, new rules of life – everything is different. We constantly solved new situations that we had not faced before, which was a challenge. In addition, our daughter was only three years old and there was no way to leave her with someone to study in the evenings after work. But we constantly thought about the need to find education in order to get better opportunities for development. A year and a half ago, we brought Olena’s mother from Ukraine because of a very terrible war, and we got the opportunity to study. We paid attention to the construction sphere because Bogdan was working as a frame installer here and Olena got a master’s degree in the construction industry from Ukraine. We started looking for courses in this field and were very surprised to find out that Goodwill, in addition to stores, has such a strong base for training personnel. We both took Construction Basics in Summer 2024. After that, Bogdan took the Electrical training program, and Olena is currently enrolled in the Blueprint Reading & Estimating program.
How has completing your programs impacted your lives and careers, and how has this experience shaped your future as a family?
- Bogdan is currently looking for opportunities in the electrical industry. We really believe that he will be able to find a job as an electrician. Thanks to Goodwill, Olena received excellent opportunities for development, and believed in herself. Olena left her previous job and followed her dream. A month ago, she got a job as a CAD designer at a large international company, and we are extremely happy. This gives our family great opportunities for development and a belief that anything is possible.
What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in each other since finishing your training?
- We became more confident in our abilities and gained new knowledge that changed our lives for the better.
How did it feel to be able to take these courses at no cost?
- Goodwill helps people get free training, which seems almost impossible nowadays. Anyone who has the desire to develop and learn can gain new skills and start a new life. It’s incredible.
What are your career goals now, and how do you support each other in achieving them?
- We really believe that we can achieve the best results in the construction and manufacturing industry. We will always support and believe in each other, give help with advice and dream about the future. In the next 3-5 years, Olena hopes to become a manager. Bogdan would like to work in industrial electricity and possibly get higher education to become an electrical engineer.
If you could say one thing to the people who donate and shop at Goodwill, what would it be?
- Keep going and never stop. Your contributions change lives.
Anything else you’d like to add?
- We would like to say thank you to everyone who is working at the Goodwill Construction Skills Training Center. We absolutely love it! The staff is so friendly and responsive; they are always helpful and supportive.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Olena and Bogdan! We can’t wait to see what all you accomplish.
At the Goodwill Construction & Skills Training Center, thousands of participants have taken tuition-free courses in Construction Basics, HVAC, Electrical, Commercial Carpentry, Blueprint Reading & Estimating and more. In 2023, 537 participants graduated from the program.
The training center, lovingly nicknamed the “Trade School,” has built up an alumni network that envies those of schools or universities. After finishing training programs, former participants stay connected with each other, their Career Navigators and the team at the training center.
Several alumni have had a special opportunity to pour back into participants by becoming teaching assistants (TAs) for the Construction Basics course. This idea formed from the growth the construction center has experienced over the last year.
“Our numbers were growing last year, and we needed to find a better pipeline of talent,” explains Marvin Kelley, Director of Construction & Trade Training. “We came up with the idea to reach back into our talent pool and train up graduates who completed the program, were working, and were doing well.”
Employing previous graduates has provided a unique perspective that allows Goodwill participants to gain knowledge from someone who has already taken the course and see what avenues they can take after finishing their coursework.
“It makes a difference with the students, because you can see a professional that went through the same classes you’re going through and see the progress in real form,” shares Destiney, a residential maintenance technician. “Me being there is like a daily reminder [that] you can be successful after this.”
“I love watching the growth from day one to the final day,” adds Charlie, a foreman in training who assists with Construction Basics and Carpentry courses.
In addition to the knowledge of the training courses, some TAs are able to pay it forward by being an advocate for Goodwill participants at their own companies.
“I tell them, ‘My company that Goodwill hooked me up with is hiring soon. I’ve worked with you for the last eight weeks; I know you work really hard and you’re eager to learn. Send me your resumes, and I’ll forward them up the chain,’” Charlie explains.
The TAs are helping develop future professionals in construction, while also developing themselves at the same time.
“This is a big step for me,” states Andre, a maintenance technician who received a promotion to supervisor after completing his courses at Goodwill. “[At work], I was seeing it in real life and then bringing it back and sharing new ways on how to problem solve. I guess I stood out from that.”
“It helped me become a better professional,” Destiney emphasizes. “I gave it a try, and I enjoy it more than I thought I would.”
At Goodwill, our mission is to help people build pathways that help people pursue the life they want to achieve. The Goodwill Construction Skills Training Center is helping build pathways both in class and beyond.
“It’s really a full circle moment,” says Marvin. “[Just a few years ago], Destiney came through the program and was excited to go to her first job. In class, she was shy, and now, to see the energy around her ability to communicate with the students, it’s super fulfilling.”
If you’d like to contribute to funding Goodwill’s tuition-free programs and services, consider dropping off your gently used donations at one of our locations or making a financial contribution.