Donna Level came to a Goodwill of North Georgia information session interested in changing career paths and heading into a new industry. Despite her background in customer service and administrative work, Donna struggled to find full-time work since losing her job during the pandemic. She tried working at a few jobs to make ends meet, but nothing quite fit. When she learned about Goodwill’s new Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) training program, Donna was excited about the opportunity to be a part of it.

Goodwill launched the EVSE training program in January 2024 with funding from Accenture. The 4-week course provides industry-recognized certifications and skills to prepare graduates for jobs maintaining electric vehicle charging stations. Because of intense interest in the first few EVSE pilot cohorts, applicants had to undergo competitive interviews and assessments to measure their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Donna earned a spot in the first cohort based on her high scores in digital literacy, critical thinking, math, and reading assessments and the motivation she showcased in the interview process. She was well on her way to a fresh start in an exciting program.

During the EVSE training course, Donna stood out for her effective communication skills and helpful nature, which resulted in her classmates electing her to be a speaker for the group! Her gratitude and determination during the course earned her a Top Performer nomination. Donna earned multiple certifications, including NFPA 70 E, OSHA, SAE, and construction basics.

After graduation, Donna was hired as an executive assistant by Visacomm earning a starting pay of $25 an hour. Visacomm is a full-service electrical contractor whose focus is EV adoption and workforce development for the non-profit side of the business which is called (EVU) Electric Vehicle University. She also returned to Goodwill as a guest speaker during the second EVSE cohort and was featured in a video about the training program.

“I felt fortunate to have been chosen for the EVSE program. I desperately needed a solution to upgrade my skills to fit the current and future demands of the job market,” stated Donna. “I was reminded of how resilient and adaptable I really am. Although my journey didn’t lead me to the path of a EVSE field technician, I was able to find an employment opportunity in the field working in another capacity with unbelievable upward mobility.”