Two local companies have recently joined forces to provide local job seekers with opportunities for hands-on training, national certification and promising career prospects.
According to a press release, Goodwill's Aiken Job Connection and Dumpster Depot have initiated a five-week training program, which started with seven trainees identified through the SNAP2WORK program from the S.C. Department of Social Services.
The program will supply participants with credentials from the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council as Certified Logistics Associates or Certified Logistics Technicians - both of which will increase the skill sets of job seekers.
Each trainee will spend 30 hours per week in a combination of classroom teaching and experiential learning opportunities through the partnership with Dumpster Depot. Participants will get training in warehousing and logistics at the company's recycling and logistics business divisions.
Norman Dunagan, the founder of Dumpster Depot, said he is a believer in second chances. That philosophy, he said, brought in employees who helped the business achieve the Aiken Chamber Small Business of the Year award.
"We are honored to be working with Goodwill. This new partnership will allow us to train individuals and send them back into the workforce to do bigger and better things in our community," Dunagan said.
Jennifer Hart, the Aiken community director of Goodwill, added that the partnership allows participants to high-demand career fields, helping them transition from reliance on public assistance to earning a paycheck.
"We're grateful to Dumpster Depot for their valuable assistance in creating this program, and for generously providing students with a real-world environment where they can experience the practical application of their classroom learning," Hart said.
Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.
