Two out of five college students drop out of school for financial reasons. With this and other reasons in mind, Goodwill Industries of Central Florida (GICF) recently announced a prepaid tuition program that will cover the cost of college or vocational school for its employees.
All part- and full-time GICF employees with at least 90 days of continuous employment are eligible to have 100% of their tuition, books and other fees covered in advance, rather than being reimbursed after the fact. Those who are interested in the program will be paired with a Prosperity Planner – a Goodwill team member who specializes in financial and career goal strategies – to help develop an individualized action plan and provide one-on-one coaching.
Other eligibility requirements for employees include:
- Enrolling at a Florida-state public college/university, accredited technical college or trade school
- Maintaining a passing grade of “C” or its equivalent
“We want our employees to be trained to be successful at their jobs – and we want their jobs to help them accomplish the goals they desire in life,” said Ed Durkee, President and CEO at Goodwill Industries of Central Florida. “We believe that the cost of education should not stand in the way of those aspirations, so we intend to provide employees with the financial pathway to achieve a degree or skilled trade.”
The new pre-paid tuition program embodies Goodwill’s mission of “building lives that work,” and – as an addition to a generous, best-in-class benefits package – it serves as an incentive to attract new employees. Currently, GICF employs more than 1,200 individuals across Orange, Osceola, Lake, Brevard, Seminole and Volusia counties and has job openings in various departments including retail, warehouse, transportation, HR and IT.
Anyone interested in working at Goodwill should fill out an application at www.GoodwillCFL.org and monitor the organization’s Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages for announcements about upcoming hiring events.
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About Goodwill Industries of Central Florida, Inc.
For more than 60 years, Goodwill Industries of Central Florida has provided vocational and job placement services to tens of thousands of people living in Central Florida. Through 30 retail/outlet stores and 20 Donation Xpress locations in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Lake and Volusia counties, Goodwill diverted 18.9 million pounds of clothing and household items from landfills in 2021. Goodwill Industries of Central Florida directly channels more than 90 percent of its annual revenue into programs that enable individuals to secure meaningful employment, achieve their personal goals and thrive economically.
