Success Through Support – Illinois Department of Corrections

Location, location, location. This is true in real estate and in finding employees. The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) didn’t have a lack of job candidates, they had trouble,
getting them all in one place.

The organization hires for 5 facilities throughout Illinois. The first stage in the hiring process consists of testing, so they needed one central location where candidates could gather. This is when they discovered Goodwill. Goodwill Commons is Goodwill of Central Illinois’ headquarters and offers a sizeable facility perfect for training and in this case, test taking.
After discovering Goodwill’s facility, IDOC discovered the other employment services that Goodwill offers. Goodwill’s free employment program works with hundreds of job seekers. The program is free and offers resume building, computer training and most importantly referral to employers. So, while IDOC needed a central gathering location, they also found a partner who could refer to them potential employees.

Goodwill can offer job placement assistance, as well as veterans’ support services and a youth mentoring program, because people shop and donate. It’s our community who makes these free services possible.