Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region Receives $300,000 Grant From KeyBank for Clean Energy Initiative

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04/23/2024 - 09:15 AM

TACOMA, WA / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2024 / KeyBank:

Funds will support a clean energy/clean tech career preparation course to equip young adult job seekers to pursue green economy-related careers

Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region has received a grant of $300,000 from KeyBank. The funds will help support clean energy/clean tech career preparation courses to equip young adult job seekers to pursue green economy-related careers in the rapidly growing sector.

As the United States transitions to clean energy and green infrastructure investments, these jobs will increasingly be in demand, offering a path to stable, well-paid employment. To ensure local youth are ready to pursue these exciting careers, Goodwill will prepare, pilot and implement a new "Intro to Industry Occupational Training" for green careers, as an offering at its state-licensed vocational school, based in Tacoma, Washington.

The Clean Energy Career Prep Course will use a hands-on, career-connected learning model that will enable participants to earn a nationally industry-recognized credential, such as the Fundamentals of Energy Certificate, and help connect them with green careers. Goodwill anticipates enrolling intersectional target populations, including BIPOC, veterans, and young people with socio-economic and other barriers that affect their access to opportunities.

"At KeyBank, our mission is to help our communities thrive, and we know that an important building block is ensuring young adults can develop the skills that will lead to successful and fulfilling careers," says South Puget Sound Market President Brian Marlow. "We are excited about the green sector and are pleased to support Goodwill as it develops a diverse talent pipeline to take advantage of the opportunities available in the vibrant green economy-and ultimately to enhance the sustainability of our communities."

"Green energy jobs generally pay well and have grown at double-digit rates," says Lori Forte Harnick, President and CEO of Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region. "We are deeply grateful for this generous grant from KeyBank that will help us equip and empower young adults in our local community to build successful careers that promote a more sustainable future."

About Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region

At Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region, our vision is that every person has the opportunity to learn, work, and thrive in all aspects of life. To achieve our vision, we are committed to dismantling racism and advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion so we can help people reach their fullest potential through education, job placement, and career pathway services. We do our work with great gratitude for the community donations, purchases, and partnerships that make our mission possible.

Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region is nonprofit social enterprise serving 15 counties in Washington state. Our free education, job training, and career pathway services uplift an average of 4,000 people each year by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping people to realize their full potential through the power of work. Our 34 thrift retail stores and online thrift operation employ more than 1,100 people in local communities and help fund our mission. For more information, please visit http://www.goodwillwa.org .

About KeyBank

KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $188 billion at December 31, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.