Here are some comments:
Students
‘It was a lot of hard work, but it went fast. I learned a lot; mostly about how to do the basics for getting and keeping a job.’
‘I learned about responsibility, working with different kinds of people and handling my money.‘
‘I didn’t know what I needed to do for a job interview, how I needed to dress or how to talk, this helped with that.‘
‘Teachers give you chances to act appropriately, but when you get out to the real world, you can have a job one minute, and the next minute be unemployed, on the jobsite you have to be on your game at all times.‘
Teachers
‘The program provided my students what was promised; life lessons from a good, solid work experience.’
‘I believe Goodwill Connects impacts students’ attitude and behavior, for the good.‘
Career Mentor
‘Working with students in this setting over the past few summers has definitely made me a better teacher.‘
Employers
‘Goodwill made it relatively easy for us to host interns. Our biggest concern was about how we were going to consistently provide students meaningful job experiences. I think we did that.’
‘It’s just an unbelievable opportunity for kids and, actually, for the employers, too. It gets us involved in the community and explains to the youth what an actual manufacturer does and contributes to the community. Plus, it also gives us a chance to learn about how things are different with today’s youth than when we were kids. We’d like to have the kids understand what’s needed to go to work in the industry. We also hope they get kind of a pride in getting involved in the community.’