Jaci Sweet loved her job in the home health nursing field but was ultimately let go because the position demanded technical competencies that she did not possess. “I didn’t have the computer skills I needed to work behind a desk and do the managerial side of the position,” Jaci reflected.
To learn what she needed to become a qualified candidate, Jaci came to Goodwill and enrolled in the Office and Computer Skills program. In class she gained vital knowledge in the Microsoft suite of products and, importantly, support to help her achieve long-term success. “Goodwill wants to train you for a career path – not just a job,” said Jaci. “They help you get a career and set you up for success.”
While attending classes she attended a hiring event at Goodwill and met her future employer. “They vetted me, trained me, and got me onboard within four weeks of training,” said Jaci, who now works as a nurse in a school for children with special needs.
While her new position provided Jaci the financial stability to support her and her two children, she had a desire to gain more understanding about how to manage her finances and set long-term goals. Once again, she turned to Goodwill and the Financial Education program. The class, which includes banking basics, budgeting, credit fundamentals and one-on-one personalized coaching, has helped Jaci get on the path to achieving her dreams. “My goal is to get a house for me and my two kids as a single parent,” said Jaci. “The instructors have helped me with my finances, my taxes, my whole financial future.”
Though grateful for the technical skills she learned, Jaci is most appreciative for the full-range of services she has received since coming to Goodwill. “The computer skills are just a small piece to get you started. It’s all the rest that goes with it.”
UPDATE: June 8, 2020
Jaci achieved another milestone – she bought a house! She was excited to tell her Goodwill case manager that she recently moved herself and her children into the house that she had only dreamed about, achieving yet another goal on her path to financial freedom.
“The thing I am most proud of is being able to buy my house. During the financial class I was given the road map on what to do, step by step, to be able to buy the house my children and I are living in now. We bought it in November of 2019 and moved in February of 2020. My dreams of being a homeowner, financially secure with a career path that will last until retirement have come at a price I could afford. My time, hard work, perseverance and the wonderful teachers at Goodwill Milgard Work Opportunity Center have made it come true. If I, an older disabled single mom with two amazing children can do it, so can you. Thank you to the teachers and staff at Goodwill. Without everyone working together as a team I would not be the success story I am today.”
