Like many GenZers, Joanna Ruiz explored working in different sectors after graduating from high school in 2019. She launched her own business as a traveling stylist and then worked the salad buffet in a restaurant. But when her hours were cut and eventually she was laid off, Joanna came to Goodwill when a friend told her about the Pharmacy technician training.

Joanna, who lives with her mom in Brooklyn, was nervous about “going back to school,” but by the third week of training, she felt confident and thought, “you know what, I can do this!” At Goodwill, she received case management, job readiness services, metro cards to travel to the Goodwill NYNJ Brooklyn headquarters to attend the Pharmacy Tech training, and additional tutoring.

Soon after graduated from the Pharmacy Tech class, Joanna began working full-time as Pharmacy Technician earning $18/hr. at Walgreens in November 2022. “Goodwill’s Pharmacy Technician training has sparked my interest in the healthcare sector and can’t wait to continue exploring my journey in the field,” said Joanna.

Goodwill NYNJ’s Pharmacy Tech program provides young adults with the knowledge, skills, and expertise needed to work in pharmacy and prepare them for the PTCB (pharmacy technician certification board) exam. The 80-hour training takes place over ten weeks and includes exam prep, lab days, and face-to-face meetings with pharmacy hiring teams.

If you are receiving services from the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) and would like to join this program, please ask your case manager to refer you to the Goodwill NYNJ Pharma Tech program by contacting services@goodwillny.org

Story submitted by our workforce development team:

Bibi Watson, Job Developer

Kaveh Sarfehjooy, Director of Training and Curriculum Development