COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — There's a new job training center in Council Bluffs. Goodwill opened an education space to help Southwest Iowans upgrade their job readiness.
- Mayor Matt Walsh, Omaha-area Goodwill CEO & President Tobi Mathouser and other Southwest Iowa leaders celebrated the opening of a new Goodwill Training Center.
- Mathouser said: "Many organizations are still seeing a need for those very basic, soft skills. Individuals who maybe haven't had a job before, understanding why it's important to show up on time, how to have a difficult conversation with your supervisor."
- The new center is located at 705 N. 16th Street in Council Bluffs.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Folks in Southwest Iowa in search of more job training now have a new option in Council Bluffs.
I'm your Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel at the Goodwill Training Center on the Lakin campus.
People know Goodwill from the thrift stores but may not realize those thrift store sales fund other services, such as workforce readiness, said mayor Matt Walsh during Friday's ribbon cutting.
Walsh: "People with disabilities, people that maybe didn't have the advantages that all of us had..."
Tobi Mathouser is the Goodwill CEO for the Omaha area. She says the organization held focus groups to understand the needs in Southwest Iowa.
Mathouser: "Many organizations are still seeing a need for those very basic, soft skills. Individuals who maybe haven't had a job before, understanding why it's important to show up on time, how to have a difficult conversation with your supervisor."
Goodwill also helps with resume writing and interviewing skills. Those interested in upgrading job skills can visit them on the Charles E. Lakin campus on North 16th Street in Council Bluffs.
