Goodwill Industries International and Coursera Launch Goodwill® Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries International and Coursera have collaborated to create the Goodwill® Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate. The first-of-its-kind certificate will provide anyone pursuing a career in workforce development and career navigation with educational content developed from Goodwill's 120-year history of industry-leading expertise.

Through the power of Coursera's cost-effective online platform, this self-paced course provides learning and development for Goodwill Coaches and Career Navigators. Workforce Development tools and resources for Goodwill Coaches and Navigators are also provided to assist them as they support job seekers in need of Goodwill's support across the U.S. and Canada. Designed from the experience and expertise of local Goodwill career services teams, the online training prepares professionals for careers in the emerging career coaching and navigation profession.

Career coaches and navigators play an essential role in Goodwill's mission by connecting more than one million people each year with employment, education and support services. Accessible, career-focused learning programs that lead to professional certificates help job seekers find good employment, earn a living wage, and contribute to the economic recovery in their own neighborhoods. The Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate is available to aspiring professionals looking to enhance their skills and scale workforce development and career advancement services, including Goodwill's nonprofit and community partners.

As the nation's economic opportunity gap widens, solutions and resources are too often unknown or beyond reach of job seekers and career advancers. Career coaches and navigators bring trajectory-shifting expertise that people use to make the most of their potential and pivot their career paths. Individuals use essential career navigation services to clarify their interests and career path, build skills to be ready for employment, and seize their opportunity to thrive. 

"Goodwill provides career services to help individuals facing barriers reach their potential through the power of work. Employers in local communities find Goodwill to be a trusted source for talent," said Martin Scaglione, Chief Mission Officer of Goodwill Industries International. "The Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate not only benefits career services professionals and employers, but most importantly it is a game changer for the individual they both serve, by opening access to opportunity.

To learn more about the program and start learning today, visit this link.

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 155 community-based, autonomous organizations in the U.S. and Canada with a presence in 12 other countries. Goodwill industries International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides people with opportunities and support to empower themselves and thrive through training, development and employment.

Local Goodwill organizations provide career navigation, skills training, job placement and other community-based services funded in part by selling donated clothing and household items in nearly 3,300 stores and at ShopGoodwill.com®. Some of the community-based programs local Goodwill organizations provide include English-language training, financial education, industry-recognized credentials, résumé preparation, and access to reliable transportation and childcare.

Last year, almost one million people received in-person career services, and hundreds of thousands of people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their job skills.

For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, visit goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube: GoodwillIntl.

Coursera was launched in 2012 by two Stanford Computer Science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. It is now one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with more than 113 million registered learners as of September 30, 2022. Coursera partners with 275+ leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, Guided Projects, and bachelor's and master's degrees. Institutions around the world use Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, citizens, and students in fields such as data science, technology, and business. Coursera became a B Corp in February 2021. 

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International