SALAMANCA — Goodwill of Western New York is planning an upcoming session of its Goodskills Career Builder training program in Salamanca.

The training session will begin on Monday, June 30 at Connecting Communities in Action (CCA), 25 Jefferson St. Interested applicants must apply by Friday, June 20.

In collaboration with local employers and trainers, Goodskills Career Builder prepares workers for careers in advanced manufacturing through four weeks of training at no charge, Community Outreach Liaison Jackie Greene explained to the Salamanca Common Council Wednesday.

“We work with folks on both technical skills and soft skills with the goal of getting them full-time employment in manufacturing,” she said. “We focus on manufacturing because those jobs tend to be stable, they tend to pay better and they tend to offer benefits.”

The combination of classroom and on-site visits that may include hands-on experience has the dual benefit of filling a growing need for skilled workers while providing opportunities for people to advance from minimum or low-wage jobs into higher-paying careers.

“But the focus of what we do when we work with these folks is to really build their confidence, let them get a real sense of what their abilities are and what they can bring to the table,” Greene said. “It’s really intense. We’re sticklers for attendance.”

Training topics include OSHA 10 certification, forklift, shop math, cybersecurity certification, financial literacy, resume building, job interview practice and access to a personalized career coach for up to three years, Greene said.

“We also invite groups from the community to come in and talk about their resources,” she added. “I think we’re going to have folks from CCA come in and talk about their programs, and we have folks from Cornell Cooperative Extension to talk about nutrition, so we really cover the gamut.”

At the end of four weeks, Goodwill holds a graduation ceremony, Greene said, and a couple of days after that, employers are invited in to do one-on-one interviews with the graduates. She said the program has an 85-90% placement rate with graduates either going onto full-time employment or further education or training.

“In the last six cohorts, we’ve had at least two or three people go on to train at (Jamestown Community College),” she said. “Our goal is to make sure these people are work-ready at the end of four weeks because we are going to put them in front of an employer, so we work very hard to make sure they’re ready.”

Goodskills Career Builder is open to any adult 18 or older with a high school diploma or equivalent who lives in Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua or Cattaraugus counties, is authorized to work in the United States and is currently looking for a higher-paying job in advanced manufacturing.

“We’ve been coming over to Salamanca for a couple months now, and I’ve gotten nothing but enthusiasm,” Greene told the council. “I think we’re bringing a piece of the puzzle that’s been missing here.”

In her position, Greene said she meets a lot of people when they first start the program, and she is always impressed by the change she sees in them by the end of the four weeks. She said a shy participant who would barely talk at the start ended up giving an address at the graduation.

“Goodskills continues to bring its programming to local markets with an active need for trained, qualified candidates for manufacturing jobs,” Thomas Ulbrich, President and CEO of Goodwill of Western New York, said in a statement. “Goodskills works with its employment partners to identify the skill sets that employers are looking for and provides appropriate training to participants, while getting them into the workforce quickly and set up for success.”

The partnership between Goodwill and local manufacturers represents a focus on creating long-term, mutually beneficial relationships between potential employees and employers.

“At Connecting Communities in Action, we build resilient communities by helping people achieve economic, physical and emotional security. We believe in the transformative power of opportunity. Goodskills Career Builder is a great opportunity and bridge to lasting change,” said Mason Maynard, Chief Operating Officer of CCA. “We’re glad to be partnering with an initiative that empowers individuals with the tools, training, and confidence they need to build sustainable careers and stronger communities.”

Potential candidates for Goodskills — and potential employer partners — can learn more by visiting goodskillswny.org or by calling Greene at (716) 229-0113.