Goodrich Foundation has awarded Workshop for Warriors (WfW) in San Diego, Calif. $100,000 to support its program that provides job training and skill certification to U.S. veterans at no cost to students. WfW provides training in welding, milling and machining for wounded, homeless veterans and service men and women about to transition out of active duty into civilian life. Thousands of veterans are expected to end their military careers over the next several months as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down.
“One area of our giving focus at Goodrich is to honor the men and women who serve their country in the armed forces,” said Marc Duvall, president of Goodrich’s Aerostructures business. “Enabling Workshops for Warriors to provide much-needed job training to veterans one of the best ways that we as a company can tell our veterans, ‘Thank you for your service.'”
Many returning veterans will come through San Diego on their way back to their hometowns, making Workshops for Warriors ideally located to assist them with their career transitions. In addition to helping veterans establish careers in an extremely tight job market, the program also benefits the country.
“America is hungry for manufacturing employees; there are more than two million unfilled manufacturing jobs in the U.S. right now,” Hernan Luis y Prado, president Workshops for Warriors said. “Hiring our graduates is a win-win for this country and the people who served it. We want to be a major driver for retraining the world’s greatest fighting force into the world’s most modern manufacturing force.”
Last month, Luis y Prado was recognized as a “Champion of Change” for establishing Workshops for Warriors and his dedication to helping members of the armed forces.
The Goodrich Foundation grant will be used to hire additional instructors in order to increase the number of graduates from Workshops for Warriors. The organization currently has a 100 percent job placement rate for its students.
This is the second Goodrich Foundation grant for the organization. In late 2011, WfW received a $25,000 grant to help it establish its curriculum. In addition, Goodrich Aerostructures business in Chula Vista, Calif., has donated nearly $1 million in equipment and materials to help WfW build out its class offerings. Additional information on the Workshops for Warriors can be found at http://www.workshopsforwarriors.org/
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Goodrich Foundation is the charitable arm of Goodrich Corporation. The Foundation provides support to selected charitable institutions in Goodrich’s United States headquarters and plant communities.
Goodrich Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a global supplier of systems and services to the aerospace and defense industry. With one of the most strategically diversified portfolios of products in the industry, Goodrich serves a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and service facilities. For more information visit http://www.goodrich.com .
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2012 GRANT & FUNDRAISING NEWS 