BRADENTON, FL – In response to the closing of Manatee Technical College’s North Campus in Palmetto, Goodwill Manasota has made available community rooms at three of its Manatee County locations to provide space for the school’s GED® Preparation classes. At the beginning of the new academic year in August, Manatee Technical College (MTC) will offer its GED classes at Goodwill’s Corporate Campus (2715 51st Ave. E.), Ranch Lake (8750 E. State Road 70) and Cortez (3465 Cortez Rd. W.) sites, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
“With the closing of our North Campus and the loss of half of the classroom space on our West Campus in August to accommodate growth at Bayshore High School, we were going to be hard-pressed to find classrooms for our GED classes,” said Ellen Sage, program supervisor for the MTC West Campus. “We are so grateful to Goodwill for providing space so that community members could continue to earn their high school diplomas in order to pursue better jobs or higher education.”
This is not the first partnership venture between the two organizations. Goodwill team members and community members served through the Job Connection (free career services) program who have earned their GED with assistance from the Rick and Coni Fawley Scholarship Fund can receive additional funds to support earning a technical certification – for free – at MTC.
“By earning their GED, community members can make more money, increase their job satisfaction, and have the possibility of attending college, if that is their goal. A better-educated population creates a stronger community,” said Margie Genter, vice president of Goodwill Manasota. “Additionally, we actively seek opportunities to generate more traffic through our locations – this raises awareness of the services and employment available at our centers. This offers a wonderful opportunity to introduce more members of the community to Goodwill!”
Genter also noted that Goodwill provides nearly 20,000 hours of on-the-clock training to its team members annually. Any employees who wish to earn their GED through the Goodwill-hosted MTC classes can participate for up to 90 minutes weekly while on the clock and complete the rest through computers at a Goodwill Job Connection center or at home.
Manatee Technical College is the official GED® Testing Center for Manatee County. Students must be 16 or older and not currently enrolled in high school and need a government-issued photo ID to enroll in the GED Preparation Program.
For more information, call Manatee Technical College at (941) 751-7900, ext. 1161 to speak with career counselor Jessie Garcia or Joanne Larson or email larsonj@manateeschools.net.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With the sales of donated goods and philanthropic donations, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment by providing job skills training and employment opportunities. In 2016, Goodwill Manasota served 28,207 people, placed 755 people in jobs and assisted 240 veterans as they reintegrated back into the civilian workforce. Goodwill Manasota’s economic impact back to the community is worth $92.1 million. Goodwill is one of the pioneers of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement and this past year diverted more than 40 million pounds out of the landfill. We accomplish our mission through a network of Good Neighbor Centers in Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties and our Mission Development Services (MDS) around North America. Goodwill Manasota is accountable to a local Board of Directors. Goodwill Manasota, in essence, belongs to this community and is not owned by any individual or company. For more information, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org.
About Manatee Technical College
Manatee Technical College is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education and AdvancED. MTC is the Official GED® Testing Center for Manatee County and an Official Adult Education Provider in the state of Florida. MTC serves 4,000 students per year at three campuses within the School District of Manatee County with over 50 career certification programs, continuing education, adult general education, and personal enrichment classes. The mission of MTC is to produce highly skilled individuals and resourceful leaders through collaborative education to meet the ever-changing needs of our communities and the workforce. For more information, visit https://manateetech.edu.