“I fix things. People are happy,” says Austin Fongemie, a Facilities Technician at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, who was hired in November after completing tuition-free construction & trade training programs at the Goodwill Construction Skills Training Center.  

“I knew that Goodwill was offering these trade classes. I was working with somebody that was in the field of HVAC as his assistant, but I needed the training,” he said.  

Austin enrolled in Goodwill’s tuition-free Construction Basics and HVAC training programs. After his experience with Goodwill’s programs, his wife Jessica signed up to participate in the BankWork$ banking training program.  

While taking training courses through Goodwill, participants have access to wraparound services, such as Career Navigators and an Employer Engagement Team who help them get ready to enter the workforce. Goodwill’s team found the perfect opening for him – as a fellow team member!  

“They were already raving about me to Paul [the manager] beforehand. They said, ‘We’ve got the perfect guy for you.’ They had me pull up the application and do it right then,” he laughed.  

Now working as a Facilities Technician, Austin is happier and in a stable position, which has positively impacted his family.  

“We’re not stressed about money as much, which is nice. We have jobs with normal hours, so we can interact with each other and our child,” Austin shared. They hope to be able to buy a house in the future.  

Tuition-free programs like the ones Austin and his wife Jessica took are made possible by donations and purchases made at Goodwill’s retail stores and drop-off locations and financial contributions from donors. 

“I could just focus on the fact that I still need to pay my bills, or I can go to this class, and they’re going to give me some new skills, they’re going to help me with my resume, and they’re going to help me get a job by the time all this is done,” he said. 

Reflecting on his journey from a participant to a team member, Austin feels good about contributing to Goodwill’s mission. “I like the organization. I like our goals. If I can help, I will. Let’s keep doing this thing,” he said. 

If you would like to help fund tuition-free training programs that help people like Austin on their pathway to prosperity, drop off your gently used donations at one of our 36 retail stores or donation locations, or make a financial contribution.