On January 16, Goodwill NYNJ launched its second cohort of the Career in Retail Pathway training at the SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology. Sixteen retail employees are participating in the 7-week training, which is free to employees at the FIT campus and is sponsored by Goodwill NYNJ.
To join the program, Goodwill NYNJ employees had to apply and participate in a group interview with Lenox Thomas, Goodwill NYNJ Executive Vice President of Retail Operations. At the end, those applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to the Goodwill mission, a passion for the retail sector or the potential to advance and establish a career in retail, were selected.
“This week, the group has come together in an unbelievable way and much faster and stronger than I had expected. I notice a professionalism developing among the participants,” comments Neal Leavit, one of the lead FIT instructors. “I am gratified to see that only after two weeks of training, they are developing a consultative work partnership, even right on the street corner as they visited stores.”
Last year, 24 Goodwill store and e-commerce employees participated in the 1st FIT Retail Career Pathway training program. The 6-week session Tooke place every Tuesday and Thursday of May and June. Within 6 months from graduation, 58% of the employees who participated in last year’s cohort were promoted!
Meet Tiffany, one of last year’s training graduates: https://youtu.be/3g7f791Wjas