Goodwill® and Google.org Launch Digital Career Accelerator(SM)

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Google.org and Goodwill, the United States' leading workforce development nonprofit, have announced the launch of the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator. Funded by a $10 million grant from Google.org and with the assistance of 1,000 Google volunteers, the new Goodwill initiative will enable more than one million people — including people with disabilities and disadvantages, youth, older workers, veterans and military families, and people who are transitioning back into society — to receive digital skills training over the next three years.

To launch the initiative, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Google.org President Jacquelline Fuller will visit with Goodwill Industries International President and CEO Jim Gibbons and Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania President and CEO Mike Smith at the Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania headquarters in Pittsburgh this afternoon.

The CEOs will participate in a Digital Skills Career Day, a half day of sessions designed to raise awareness of digital skills training and career opportunities among Goodwill program participants and build Goodwill team members' capability to train individuals for careers that require digital skills. Google volunteers will be on the ground to help conduct trainings for the Pittsburgh Goodwill's team members and program participants. The trainings will focus on a variety of topics ranging from applied digital skills to Google tools for jobs and demystifying digital careers.

"Together, Goodwill and Google are helping people advance their skills and change their lives," said Gibbons. "This exciting investment from one of the world's most innovative techology and digital leaders will help Goodwill organizations across the country equip more than a million people with the digital skills they need to advance their careers. I'm proud of the work Google and local Goodwill organizations will accomplish together."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are more than 6 million job openings in the United States. Many of these jobs remain unfilled because job applicants lack specific skills employers report they need. This innovative initiative will allow Goodwill organizations to enhance their job training programs to incorporate the ever-changing demand for new skills in the digital economy, and build the capacity of Goodwill organizations to equip their employees and participants with those skills. As part of the Digital Career Accelerator, 1,000 Google employees will volunteer with Goodwill organizations over the next three years to provide training and career coaching sessions.

"Goodwill is the leading workforce development nonprofit in the United States and Google is proud to support them as they prepare more than one million people across the country to get the critical digital skills they need to be successful today and in the future," said Jacquelline Fuller, president of Google.org. "We both share a commitment to create opportunities for everyone, and we're excited to amplify Goodwill's amazing work through our giving and Google volunteers."

About Goodwill Industries International 
Goodwill Industries International (GII) is a network of 162 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. GII is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is recognized by GuideStar with its Platinum Seal of Approval, the organization's highest rating for charities. GII was also ranked by Enso as the #1 brand doing the most good in the world for two consecutive years, and was the only nonprofit brand rated in Forbes' 20 most inspiring companies for three consecutive years. Local Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that create job training programs, employment placement and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,200 stores collectively and online at shopgoodwill.com^®. Local Goodwill organizations also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food services preparation, and document imaging and shredding. Last year, local Goodwill organizations collectively placed more than 313,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 35 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills, and more than 2 million people received in-person services. To learn more, visit goodwill.org.

For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at Goodwill.org or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl or Instagram: GoodwillIntl.

About Google 
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.

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SOURCE Goodwill

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