In October 2020, Negeria Trammel walked into Goodwill of North Georgia’s Cartersville Career Center wanting to learn more about the agency’s services. She needed employment and also wanted to explore skills training programs.

Employment Specialist David Harris was able to put Negeria to work right away. She began doing production work at Voestalpine at a rate of $12.75 per hour. 

Upon meeting with Case Manager Le’Shonda Shumpert, Negeria became interested in the Forklift program, but wanted to begin in the Retail Customer Service program until forklift classes started. Negeria was struggling to make ends meet and was grateful that the Goodwill supported her to obtain uniforms and clothing needed for job interviews. 

After a short time, Negeria had to leave the training program because she was moving closer to Voestalpine, which was located an hour away from her home. As she departed, she expressed appreciation for the transportation assistance that was being provided to help her while she waited for her income to stabilize. Several days later, Negeria faced another obstacle. Her car broke down and she had to resign from her new job since she had no transportation. She asked to return to Goodwill’s training program immediately.

Another week went by and Negeria enrolled in the Forklift training program. After a few days, she had another job interview and was able to obtain employment to sustain her while in the training program. By mid-November, Negeria completed the CPR/First Aid certifications. Negeria was balancing classes during the day with work at night until transportation issues arose again, causing her to leave the program to focus on full-time employment. By early January, Negeria had achieved 90-day retention in her job.

Thanks to the soft skills training she obtained at Goodwill, Negeria was able to secure a better job in mid-January and is now working as a print room associate at Q2 Solutions at an hourly wage of $14.85. Negeria shares that she loves her job and plans to stay for the long term.