(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) - After rigorous training to learn customer service skills, six students graduated from Goodwill's Training for Retail Associates Certification (TRAC) summer program on Friday, July 31 at 9:30 a.m.  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.  This was the second TRAC graduate class this summer. 

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 were introduced to a wide-range of opportunities, including field trips to various employer locations and were fortunate to have speakers from within the business community meet with them to help them better understand the retail and business communities.

Graduation 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, received a certificate of completion for the training and a $100 stipend to reward their success.  

About Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.
For more than 50 years Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee has provided job training and job placement free of charge to people with disabilities or other barriers to employment through the sale of donated items.  Goodwill has served 5,388 people through May 2009 in middle and west Tennessee and placed 988 clients in jobs.  For more information about Goodwill's Career Solutions, retail stores, and donation centers, please visit www.giveit2goodwill.org or call 1-800-545-9231.

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