“I was trying to balance school and work,” Josh said, about working towards his high school diploma while going to Pathways, a disability transition program.

With inconsistent scheduling and large time commitments at work, Josh felt burned out and decided to focus on his schooling.

In his last year of school, Josh was ready to find a steady job again. “It was a goal of mine to find employment,” Josh continued. Pathways and his Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) counselor recommended he enroll in Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota’s (GESMN) workplace readiness training .

Josh started with GESMN’s on-the-job evaluation, where he became more comfortable in the retail environment and transitioned into employee development services. According to his career navigator, Rachel, “Josh was our jack of all trades. He could do a little bit of everything in the store.”

“I like to learn new things," Josh added. “I feel like that’s a strength of mine.”

Josh’s professional and personal skills improved as he worked a variety of roles in a Goodwill store, including his favorite, organizing clothes. Rachel helped Josh develop his problem-solving, professional and communication skills. “These last six months, I’ve noticed a big change,” Josh said “I’ve grown a lot as an employee. I’m a completely different person.”

“Josh’s professionalism is night and day from where we started,” said his career navigator, Rachel. “His communication is so great. When I think about where Josh started to now, there’s huge progress, which is awesome.”

“[GESMN’s workplace readiness training] has given me time to grow and improve as an employee, especially professionally, and gave me a nice set of experiences to put on my resume. I had little to no job experience prior to this,” Josh continues.

After six months of developing both his professional and personal skills, Josh is now searching to secure his next opportunity. “I want to learn how to take things apart and put them back together, like a mechanic or detailing. If I can’t find something in that, I would at least like to find something I could do in a somewhat permanent job,” Josh added.

“We learned that structure was helpful for Josh and his long-term success,” Rachel said.

“I would say like everything else in life, you should try and give it your absolute best,” Josh says to others about GESMN’s workplace readiness training. “We all make mistakes, but at least here you’ll have a chance to learn from them.”

GESMN offers nearly 20 career and job training services that serve over 5,500 Minnesotans each year. To help support our programs, you can make a donation here today.