Grant will cover job training

Up to 200 people in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area will start training in June for customer service jobs under a $2 million federal grant announced Monday by Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle and Goodwill Industries.

The program, called Customer Connect, is to be coordinated by Goodwill in collaboration with Metropolitan Community College.

While Omaha has fared better than most cities during the economic downturn, its residents are not “out of the woods yet there is much to do,” Suttle said during a press conference.

The employment program, Suttle said, “will set many individuals who are struggling on a path to success.”

The grant was awarded after a competitive process and is funded with federal stimulus dollars.

Goodwill has started seeking participants for sessions that will run about 20 weeks, Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., said spokeswoman Linda Kizzier.

Participants will be paid a $50 weekly stipend and will get customer service training as well as basic reading and writing classes.

Graduates also will receive 25 credit hours from Metro, said Metro President Randy Schmailzl.

Sessions will be held over the three-year grant period.

Representatives of First National Bank, Mutual of Omaha, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska and Aflac are partners in the project and will provide speakers during the courses, Kizzier said.

A career coach will be available to help graduates find jobs, but none of the partnering companies have guaranteed positions.

Companies have an incentive to hire graduates, Kizzier said, as they will be reimbursed up to $2,500 in wages.

For more information, applicants can go to www.goodwillomaha.org.

Contact the writer:

444-1224, cindy.gonzalez@owh.com

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