LUBBOCK, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) – The following is a news release from News release from Goodwill Industries of Northwest Texas:
Goodwill Industries of Northwest Texas (GINWT) was awarded Texas’ Small Employer of the Year by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) at [Thursday’s] 23rd Annual Texas Workforce Conference in Dallas. Goodwill was nominated by Workforce Solutions South Plains (WSSP) and chosen from among three exemplary finalists, out of 21 others nominated by workforce boards from across the state.
GINWT was recognized not only for their contributions to their community’s workforce through innovation and collaboration with WSSP, but as a second chance employer who not only hires those with barriers to employment, but offers free job training opportunities to people in the community facing barriers to employment.
“We would like to thank our partners at Workforce Solutions for their commitment as partners and working together with us to bring renewed hope to individuals who may have given up their dreams of securing employment,” said Robin Raney, CEO for Goodwill Industries of Northwest Texas. “This award is a culmination of the hard work and dedication by our Board of Directors and all of the staff at Goodwill working to further our mission of creating job opportunities for people with barriers to employment in our community.”
GINWT employs individuals with barriers to employment and provides opportunities for them to master basic job skills, refine their work ethic and further develop job skills, through a mission-integrated work environment that recognizes employees’ accomplishments and provides opportunities for their advancement. GINWT also utilizes its Training, Placement and Life Skills program (T-PALS) to fulfill its mission of “Creating job opportunities for people with barriers to employment.” The T-PALS program is offered to the community at no cost to participants and provides computer skills and other employment-related training such as development of soft skills and job retention coaching.
Martin Aguirre, Workforce Solutions South Plains CEO said, “Today we are honored to escort Goodwill Industries of Northwest Texas to the center stage to be recognized as the winner of the 2019 Small Employer of the Year Award for their exceptional service and contribution as an employer in our area.”
In a statement released today, TWC said, “By assisting individuals who are unemployed, employed and receiving poverty-level wages, or no longer seeking employment and receiving government assistance, Goodwill and T-PALS create opportunities for Texas workers to improve their lives by obtaining the means to obtain and maintain living-wage jobs. The Texas workforce gains workers trained to compete in a technologically driven workforce without dependence on government subsidies.”
In addition to receiving the state award for Small Employer of the Year, GINWT also received the award for and was recognized as the Local Employer of Excellence for the 15-county region of the South Plains area served by Workforce Solutions South Plains.
(News release from Goodwill Industries of Northwest Texas)
