After graduating from high school, Ivan needed a job. He went to his local Goodwill store and asked about openings. An employee told him about Goodwill’s job training programs.
Ivan enrolled in the Pathways course, a two-week overview and “boot camp.” From there he entered the Retail Skills program. “I wanted to try retail because I thought I could learn skills that would be transferable to other areas, like customer service.”
After completing the program, Ivan worked as a Goodwill retail intern and sales associate. He worked in a variety of areas and his responsibilities increased, including running a seasonal store. But Ivan knew he would need to move on eventually to free up his position for others needing to gain experience.
When the new Whole Foods store put out the call for staffing, Ivan’s job coaches encouraged him to apply. “They believed in me and told me I could go far beyond what I was doing.” Ivan was hired for a position in the produce department and loves his job. “I want to continue to learn and move up the ladder, maybe eventually train people to do what I’m doing.”