Accenture Awards Goodwill® $1.5M for New Skills-Building Initiative

Accenture Skills to Succeed corporate citizenship grant aimed at helping close the job skills gap

NEW YORK and ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Accenture and Goodwill Industries International announced today that Accenture has awarded the organization $1.5M for a new program aimed at helping more Americans achieve the skills needed for college and career success. The three-year grant is part of Accenture's corporate citizenship initiative, Skills to Succeed, which plans to equip 500,000 people around the world by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business.

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Through GoodProspects® for Credentials to Careers, 40 Goodwill agencies across the country will connect more than 15,000 people with the credentials and assistance they need to equip job seekers with career readiness skills.

"Goodwill was founded more than 110 years ago to help all people find opportunity and reach their goals, utilizing the power of work," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Thanks to the generosity and foresight of Accenture, Goodwill will be able to help more people over the next three years."

Over the course of the grant cycle, Goodwill agencies will develop local credentialing partnerships; convene four regional education and industry summits to develop and strengthen the talent pipeline; and offer Accenture employees and others the opportunity to provide program participants with mentoring and skill building support.  The grant will also help Goodwill leverage local training and educational opportunities through community colleges to help address the skills gap in businesses across the country.

"Skills are a key driver of economic empowerment for individuals and communities alike, and the need is greater than ever to have the right skills to open the doors to employment," said Michael Scimo, managing director, Human Capital & Diversity, North America, Accenture. "This program supports our commitment to helping sharpen people's job skills in what has become a very competitive market for workers across the country."

GoodProspects® for Credentials to Careers will offer career-readiness services such as resume refinement, job-search assistance, soft-skills workshops and access to technology. Online and on-the-ground skills training will be available through a variety of Goodwill education partners. The services available through GoodProspects® will also encompass financial coaching, credentialing opportunities, employer referrals and childcare and mental-health services.

In 2014, the 10 Goodwill agencies selected to launch GoodProspects for Credentials to Careers include:

• Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, Austin, TX
• Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers, Columbus, GA
• Goodwill of Northern Arizona,  Flagstaff, AZ
• Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina, Inc., Greenville, SC
• Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley, Inc., Johnstown, PA
• Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, Inc., Roanoke, VA
• Goodwill Industries of Orange County, CA, Santa Ana,CA
• Goodwill Industries Manasota, Sarasota, FL
• Goodwill Industries of North Louisiana, Inc., Shreveport, LA
• Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

About Accenture 
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 281,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$28.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2013. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

About Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with affiliates in 13 other countries. Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 2,800 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com^®. Goodwill also builds revenue and creates jobs by contracting with businesses and government agencies to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2012, more than 6.7 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 82 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services.

To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at www.goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter:@GoodwillIntl, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International