Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina Making a Difference

Grand opening of new Career Connections Center in Statesville

November 3, 2007

IREDELL COUNTY NC NEWS -- Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina has expanded its Iredell County Workforce Development Center located at 124 Crescent Place to include a Career Connections Center. On Wednesday, October 31, Goodwill staff, local officials and members of Goodwill executive management celebrated the grand opening of the Center, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Career Connections Center provides free services to help job seekers' find and secure employment. Services include skill assessments, career counseling, resume and cover letter writing, and assistance with job applications. Also known as Goodwill JobLink Centers, these centers offer free professional outplacement resources to both the unemployed and underemployed, focusing on dislocated workers from entry-level upward.

Goodwill vice president of Workforce Development Services Sherry Carpenter announcing the new center said, "Staff is available at the center to provide personalized assistance and guidance throughout the entire job search process. We hope people in the Iredell County area will use the center as a one-stop resource when seeking employment."

Moreover, Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina has been opening workforce development and career connections centers throughout the Northwest region of the state. Currently, there are five Career Connections /JobLink Centers in Asheville, Lexington, Salisbury, Winston-Salem and now Statesville.

To fund Goodwill's workforce development programs and career connections centers, Goodwill sells donated items in its retail stores. The Northwest North Carolina Goodwill operation operates 29 stores in northwest North Carolina including three in Iredell County. In addition, Goodwill offers online auctions through its national website.

Goodwill offers training and placement services at four Workforce Development Centers and four satellite facilities. Goodwill partners with community colleges, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Department of Social Services and other agencies to offer these services. While services provided vary by location, job seekers and those interested in career advancement, may visit the Goodwill located in the following counties:

• Asheville Workforce Development Center (828) 298-9023 1616 Patton Avenue, Asheville NC
• Catawba County Workforce Development Center (828) 465-0371 413 Thornburg Drive, Conover NC
• Davidson County Career Connections Center (336) 236-8020 40 East 1st Avenue, Lexington NC
• Iredell County Workforce Development Center (704) 873-5005 124 Fourth Crescent Place, Statesville NC
• Resource Centers/Skills Training 836 W. Jake Alexander Blvd, Salisbury NC and 960 Blowing Rock Road NE, Lenoir NC
• Rowan County Career Connections Center (704) 638-6434 1923 South Main Street, Salisbury NC
• Stokes County Department of Social Services 1014 Main Street, Danbury NC
• Winston-Salem Workforce Development Center (336) 724-3621 2701 University Parkway, Winston-Salem NC

Finally, Northwest North Carolina Goodwill Industries is successfully coordinating localized labor pools for North Carolina employers, and human resource managers are encouraged to participate in these workforce development programs for a source for viable labor. Iredell County Citizens should show their support for this community oriented endeavor by visiting the new Goodwill Career Connections Center in Statesville. While there, citizens can see how their contributions to Goodwill are helping the community grow.