Not everyone has the skill set to land a job in the workplace. Some are inexperienced, others are too young, and then there are those who were disenfranchised such as the formerly incarcerated.
Goodwill of Southern California and CVS Pharmacy on June 3 opened the CVS Health® Career Skills Lab located at the Goodwill headquarters in Lincoln Heights. The lab provides no-cost training for jobs in health care, including pharmacy technician and customer service positions. The lab features a full replica of a CVS Pharmacy retail store, complete with relevant fixtures and equipment to give participants job-ready experience.
Michael Vasquez has been taking advantage of the training. The 36-year-old was jailed for most of his life. But through this program, Vasquez has been thriving after landing an opportunity offered by Goodwill and CVS Pharmacy.
He’s looking forward to the day he’s employed at an actual CVS retail store. “I’ve been in jail like my whole life, so now I’m just trying to (stay on the) right path, trying to do better,” Vasquez said.
The program offers training from shelving to handling cash. Vasquez says, “Right now, I’m learning the whole (retail/career) field, you know, but I’d be open to any opportunity that comes my way. I did 14 years in prison and then I got out and I was pretty lost. … I never really had a job, so I just took advantage of (the Goodwill training program) and I showed up and everything has just been going so well.”
Jorgelina Marin, a manager at Goodwill, said, “This is our very first time partnering with CVS to put on a career skills lab, so yeah this is very unique. I think our participants’ stories are some of the best ways to highlight the impact of our work. Our goal is to provide participants with not just the skill sets to learn how to enter the retail industry … they learned how to handle cash and to fully stock shelves — and about communication and listening at workplace relationships.”
The CVS Health Career Skills Lab is open to individuals facing barriers to employment who live within Goodwill Southern California’s service area. Participants who successfully complete the program gain skills to open career doors at CVS Health or in related health care and retail industries. To be eligible, participants must be 18 years or older, have completed at least an 8th‑grade level of math and hold a high school diploma or GED.
“This Career Skills Lab reflects our commitment to building community‑based pathways into meaningful careers,” said Greg Schmidt, director of CVS workforce initiatives, in a prepared statement. “By working with trusted local organizations like Goodwill and creating realistic training environments, we’re helping people gain the skills and confidence they need to take the next step toward stable employment.”
In addition to technical training, participants are enrolled in Goodwill Southern California’s employment services and have access to wraparound support including career exploration, work‑readiness skills, mentoring and counseling, college and job preparation support, tutoring and technology access.
For more information or to sign up for the CVS Career Skills Lab, contact jmarin@goodwillsocal.org (L.A.) or hdelgado@goodwillsocal.org (San Bernardino).