Contributed by Goodwill Southern Rivers
Goodwill and Southern Union State Community College (Southern Union State)
announced last week that they have partnered together to provide a much-needed job skills training and certification program at no cost to the community.
Goodwill and Southern Union, beginning in January and running through late spring, will be
facilitating a virtual manufacturing skills training program known as Certified Production Technician (CPT) 4.0 through the Goodwill Career Center in Opelika.
According to the program developer, the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council, the training and certification program is “an industry-led training, assessment and certification system focused on the core skills and knowledge needed by the nation’s front-line production and material handling workers.”
“Through this partnership with Goodwill, we are excited and proud to be able to provide this much-needed training and certification program to our community at no cost,” Southern Union State Community College President Todd Shackett stated. “Not only are we helping individuals in our community earn an industry-recognized credential in the manufacturing field, but we are also helping top employers in our area fill much needed positions.”
Through this program, job seekers interested in the manufacturing industry will be able to earn an industry-recognized credential, meet with top ready-to-hire employers and increase their take home pay upon completion of the program. Individuals who are already in the manufacturing field can earn this credential to help take their careers to the next level. An information session will be held on Feb. 17 at the Goodwill Career Center in Opelika located on Pepperell Parkway. The training is virtual, but in-person information session attendance is required to register. Safety precautions such as social distancing, frequent sanitizing of high-touch areas, temperature scans and wearing of masks will be in place.
“We are delighted to partner with Southern Union State Community College to make this training available to the community,” Goodwill President and CEO Jack Warden stated. “At Goodwill we strive to uphold our mission of helping change lives through the power of work in any way that we can and through this program we are able to continue putting America back to work by helping local job seekers and local businesses.”
About Goodwill Southern Rivers:
Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers (GoodwillSR) is one of 156 independent, community-
based Goodwill nonprofits across the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Columbus,
Georgia, GoodwillSR serves 50 counties throughout east Alabama and west Georgia. We provide employment readiness training, computer access, educational assistance, skills workshops and more to spur job placement and economic stability in the communities we serve. We can provide these and other programs thanks to the continued donations of giving patrons. We use the revenue generated in GoodwillSR stores to fund the majority of our community services. For more information about Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers, visit www.goodwillsr.org.
About Southern Union State Community College:
Southern Union State Community College, an open admission, public two-year college and member of the Alabama Community College System, provides quality and relevant teaching and learning in academic, technical and health science programs that are affordable, accessible, equitable and responsive to the diverse needs of its students, community, business, industry and government.