“I had it in my head what a successful job was. I was trying to do that, but I wasn’t enjoying it. This is definitely more along the lines of what I wanted to do,” says Jordan Campbell, a college graduate who found her career path in construction by taking free training programs at Goodwill. 

After graduating from the University of Florida in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in sustainability studies with a minor in anthropology, Jordan found herself questioning her path. In the spring of 2020, when COVID-19 hit, she moved back home to Clermont, Florida to finish her senior year remotely. Then in 2021, she moved to Charlotte to be closer to her grandmother in Fort Mill. Once moving, she started working at Target.  

“I was kind of stuck. I just kept on working there, and I wasn’t sure what my next move was,” she recalled.  

Her interest in hands-on work led her to explore the trades. “I’ve always liked to tinker with things, but I was interested in learning the correct way to do things,” she explained.  

Jordan found out about Goodwill from a friend and enrolled in the tuition-free Construction Basics and HVAC training programs, marking the beginning of her career shift. She continued to work at Target full-time while taking classes in the evenings.  

“In the HVAC course, I read the whole textbook, cover to cover,” she emphasized. “I can’t say I did that for any classes throughout grade school or college. It was challenging, but it was worth it, for sure. The value of it is incredible.” 

While taking courses, Goodwill participants are matched with a Career Navigator who helps them with their resume, interview skills and more.  

“My Career Navigator was Keitha, and she was really great,” Jordan explained. “She was very helpful and encouraging. Even after I got the job, she continued to follow up and just check in and see how I was doing.” 

After taking courses, Jordan found a job as a maintenance technician at Marsh Properties, performing maintenance at four different apartment complexes in Charlotte. In her job, she uses the skills she learned while taking courses.  

“I went on my first service call to an apartment where the resident’s thermostat wasn’t working,” she shared. “I was able to fix it by myself, which was a good feeling.” 

Tuition-free courses like the ones Jordan took are made possible by donations and shopping at Goodwill’s retail stores and drop-off locations and financial donations from donors. The funding helped Jordan start her construction career without incurring any debt. 

 “The Goodwill program is definitely the reason that I started exploring this. I didn’t have to worry about paying for school or going into debt,” she said. “It was the biggest factor in me taking the classes.” 

As Jordan continues to grow in her new role, she is excited for the future. “This is what I want to do as a career,” she said. “I can see myself staying and continuing to work and learn for 20 years.” 

If you would like to help fund tuition-free courses that help people like Jordan 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 donation.