Goodwill® Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Invest in Job Training Programs

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 7, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 100 Goodwill advocates, including executives, workforce development professionals, volunteer board members and program participants, will meet with lawmakers and their staffs on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, April 12. These representatives from Goodwill organizations across America will be garnering support for Goodwill's job training programs and career services.

Goodwill provides job training and community services, such as financial education and mentoring, to people in local communities around the country. Last year, Goodwill placed 312,000 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.

"When Goodwill helps someone find a job, it has a positive effect on their family and on their community," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Goodwill encourages lawmakers to commit to supporting an integrated workforce development system that will enable people to build their careers. This will benefit employers, workers and communities, and will boost the economy." 

The high-priority topics for Goodwill and the people that it serves include:

Funding: Goodwill urges Congress to continue to fund job-training programs that help youth, adults and older workers learn the career skills they need to find jobs. Specifically, Congress should maintain funding for programs including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which helps people receive the training they need to enter the workforce. The act was designed to create a system of one-stop career centers to provide job training for people who are unemployed, who have low incomes, who have disabilities and those who face other challenges to finding work. In order to fully implement the WIOA, funding for workforce programs will need to be increased. For more than 114 years, Goodwill has helped people find jobs and has worked with employers and government agencies to connect them with workers.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Goodwill supports the reauthorization of TANF and welcomes the opportunity to shape the discussion and share experiences in hiring and serving this population as bipartisan conversations occur. For years, states have used their TANF funds for a variety of services and supports, including income assistance, child care, education and job training, transportation, aid to children at risk of abuse and neglect, and a variety of other services to help families with low-incomes. Many Goodwill organizations engage with their state TANF programs and not only serve TANF recipients but receive referrals from state agencies. 

Charitable Giving: Issues pertaining to charitable giving are a significant policy concern across Goodwill organizations. As Congress focuses on social enterprises and the need to invest in programs that work, it is important to educate Congress about how Goodwill operates, the value of charitable contributions, and to share Goodwill experiences. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle appreciate the importance of the charitable sector; at the same time, they have to make tough decisions on funding given the tight fiscal climate. Nonprofits like Goodwill are seeing a decrease in public funds while serving an increased number of people in need. Goodwill wants to ensure that Congress continues to protect charitable giving incentives in order to allow charitable organizations to meet their needs. 

Goodwill's Advocacy Day takes place on Tuesday, April 12. Support Goodwill by joining in the Virtual Advocacy Day effort on social media. Follow @GoodwillCapHill on Twitter and reference #GoodwillOnHill in your tweets or encourage your friends to share or like posts on the Goodwill Industries International Facebook page at www.facebook.com/goodwillintl. 

About Goodwill Industries International

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 164 community-based organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of America's top 20 most inspiring companies (Forbes, 2014). Goodwill organizations 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 3,100 stores 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, Goodwill placed 312,000 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. 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

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090716/DC47803LOGO

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International