Goodwill Program: Occupational Skills Training

“Goodwill has made me feel I can do anything through perseverance.”  

“Having a baby changes everything,” Ridgely says. And it was the desire for a better life for her new daughter, Rayna, that prompted Ridgely to move back to Davidson from Atlanta. “I needed to be close to my family while I found a way to support my daughter,” Ridgely said. Although she had an associate degree, it was in a limited field and she needed to find a career with a future and a company offering benefits. 

Ridgely didn’t have the time or money to pursue another degree and looked for a faster alternative, discovering Goodwill’s 9-week training program for careers in banking.   Always a motivated student, Ridgely sailed through Goodwill’s selection process, and was soon learning ten-key, proof encoding, lock box processing, and an array of computer skills, finding her old confidence and enthusiasm returning.  

Ridgely especially enjoyed interacting with volunteers from area banks.  “Goodwill prepared us for every step in our job search, so when I had my interview at the Federal Reserve Bank, I was ready.”   

In May 20, 2006 Ridgely went to work at the Charlotte Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, but it wasn’t easy.  The Federal Reserve’s training program was fast-paced and stressful. However, practicing techniques learned at Goodwill, Ridgely addressed one task at a time and persevered. She did the same with her new job in the Check Adjustment Department. “I’ve grown so much in the past year,” Ridgely says with pride. 

On December 31, 2006, Ridgely received the good news that she had passed her probationary period and is now  a permanent employee of the Federal Reserve. “Knowing that I am able to support my daughter is the best feeling in the world,” Ridgely says.

Ridgely is now working towards a new goal.  With tuition reimbursement from her employer, she is taking classes at night to obtain a degree in Accounting.