North Carolina’s new Secretary of Commerce John Skvarla visited the headquarters of Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina on Friday, Jan. 9.
Secretary Skvarla met with Goodwill President & CEO Art Gibel, Vice President of Workforce Development Sherry Carpenter and other staff members to learn more about the job training and assistance programs that Goodwill provides to more than 36,000 people each year. He then toured the University Parkway facility, which includes a Career Connections/JobLink computer lab, skills training classrooms, the Success Outfitters professional clothing closet, and welding lab offered in partnership with Forsyth Tech.
Skvarla also met with Goodwill staff who coordinate Operation: GoodJobs, which assists veterans with overcoming barriers to employment; Project Re-entry, a partnership with the Piedmont Triad Regional Council that serves former offenders; and programs for youth.