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A.J. Bayi wears many hats – mom, wife and Program and Project Management Associate Manager for Accenture, a business management consulting firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. At Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, she’s known as a mentor.

Bayi began working with the nonprofit’s participants in fall 2022 through her employer as a mentor to women enrolled in Goodwill’s Advanced IT training development programs.

“It was so rewarding,” Bayi said when explaining the joy she gets from helping others advance in tech. “After you struggle, doing so much, and you figure out ways to not struggle. All I want to do is tell people: “here are the steps.” Do this so that you don’t have to struggle.”

Bayi started her career in cyber testing, but like many moms, once she expanded her family and had her three kids, she took time off to raise them. Little did she know ten years out of the business would make it very challenging to get hired again. “It was very, very hard for me to get back into technology after having a 10-year break. Because every software testing or programming language that I knew was obsolete at that point.”

That’s when Bayi turned to certifications and landed a job as a business analyst. “And even with that, it still took two years to get that full time job and then once I got the full-time job, that’s when I realized, oh, I still have to figure out how to stay relevant and keep this job,” she explained.

Certifications, like the one Bayi acquired and those given to Goodwill University participants, are very beneficial for career advancement. Not only are they more affordable, but in tech, they’re actually more beneficial, “Now that the landscape is changing, we don’t need college as much because the technology is changing so quickly. College can’t even keep up with what the technology is doing. It’s more important that you can teach yourself the technology and upgrade your skills through the certification.”

Her own struggle is the reason why she’s passionate about helping others.

“I will do anything for your program. Absolutely anything. It doesn’t have to have anything to do with my job,” that was Bayi’s response to Goodwill Employment Engagement Specialist Craig Kalhagen, when he asked if she had time to come back and do more with the participants after mentoring the fall cohort. Now she’s working with the nonprofit outside of work.

Goodwill is able to provide job training in IT, construction, customer service, Microsoft and more – free of charge – thanks to donations and shopping at retail stores, as well as funds from individual and corporate donors. While those efforts help to fund the mission, there’s so many other ways that people can support Goodwill’s mission of building pathways that help people pursue the life they want to achieve. Goodwill’s Employer Engagement team heads up the efforts to bring industry experts into the training program to share their industry insight.

“Any time we can incorporate industry professionals into our training program as a guest speaker or co-facilitator it is an incredible opportunity for participants,” Kalhagen said. “They hear about how what their learning is used in the business world including what it takes to be successful. Our team greatly appreciates these partnerships, and it allows employers to get to know our participants better and create a talent pipeline for their company’s open positions.”

Students Bayi mentored received assistance with resume prep, mock interviews and career guidance. Since working with last year’s participants, Bayi has given two webinar training courses to spring 2023 participants, and regularly speaks with participants outside of class; even inviting them to the course she teaches on the weekend through Meetup, which she offers for free to Goodwill participants.

Bayi echoes Kalhagen’s sentiments and encourages local employers to get involved with the nonprofit. “Talking to someone and explaining to someone else what I do, and having them show interest, or even spark their own curiosity to do their own research in it is very rewarding,” Bayi explained. “The companies have the ability to take people and train them into what they want to become. They just have to have that commitment.”

If you or someone you know would like to volunteer your services, while having the opportunity to grow your company’s talent pipeline, please contact Craig Kalhagen by clicking here. If you’re interested in providing assistance to other Goodwill training services, please contact the Employment Engagement team by clicking here.

On Monday, January 17, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont recognizes Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Day. This holiday celebrates and honors the life and achievements of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of America’s most prominent civil rights leaders.

Dr. King was a Baptist minister who advocated the use of nonviolence to end racial segregation in the 1950s and ‘60s. MLK Day is usually celebrated with marches, parades and speeches by today’s civil right leaders and politicians. This year we invite you to reflect on the vision Dr. King had that was largely responsible for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Dr. King had a vision for our world, that all people are created equal and should enjoy the same rights and privileges, just as Goodwill has a vision for our community. We envision a community where equitable access to career opportunities is available for all.

Although we’re known for our retail stores throughout the Southern Piedmont region, we help people find meaningful work and provide employment services to meet the evolving needs of our community.

In the spirit of Dr. King’s message, we stand firm in strengthening our commitment to advancing equitable opportunities for all. Equity for all is at the forefront of our vision. The pathways that we build to help people pursue the life they want to achieve look different for everyone, and we’re committed to bringing those dreams to life.

In addition to recognizing the life and achievements of Dr. King, MLK Day is also designated as a National Day of Service. For many people in America, MLK Day represents a “day on, not a day off,” as they go into their communities to practice the teachings of Dr. King. We know success isn’t achieved alone, which is why we encourage partnership and collaboration to help our community prosper.

We encourage you to find local volunteer opportunities and take action to help people see possibilities, seize opportunities and prosper.