After rigorous training to learn customer service skills, nine students graduated from Goodwill’s Training for Retail Associates Certification (TRAC) summer program on Friday, June 26. The students took part in an intense four-week program and learned job readiness skills, problem solving techniques, how to be a productive team member and public speaking basics. The program readies the students for jobs in the customer service industries including retail, hospitality and call centers. A second TRAC session will begin Monday, July 6.
The TRAC program is funded by Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee with a grant from the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency. Participants are between the ages of 14 and 18 and must live in Nashville. The students are introduced to a wide-range of opportunities, including field trips to various employer locations and are fortunate to have speakers from within the business community meet with them to help them better understand the retail and business communities.
Graduation for the first session's students took place at the Goodwill offices located at 1015 Herman Street in Nashville. Parents and Goodwill staff were on-hand to celebrate. Each student made a brief presentation about his or her experience, and received a certificate of completion for the training and a $100 stipend to reward their success.
