A path to independence

Goodwill’s Transitional Employment Programs, sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services and the Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind, help people to learn work skills and earn a paycheck while preparing to move on to competitive jobs in the community. The program provides vocational training and work experience for those who wish to work and who can benefit from having a job coach throughout the workday for assistance and support.

The work includes assembly, packaging, collating, clerical and cleaning services performed at Goodwill facilities in Bridgeport, Greenwich and Hartford. In Hartford and Bridgeport, participants may gain training through Goodwill’s e-commerce business, selling donated books. Jobs include sorting books, scanning barcodes, uploading them to popular online sites and fulfilling orders.

Depending on the individual’s vocational abilities, participants may transition from group-supported employment to smaller work groups—community-based enclaves, working in retail stores, hotels and janitorial sites. From there they may transition to long-term individual on-the-job support at job sites in the community.

At regular intervals, Goodwill staff members perform vocational assessments to determine appropriate job-matching, coaching support and vocational program goals.  Transitional Employment Programs aim toward long-term goals, mapping out a plan towards competitive employment in the most independent setting possible.

Click here to inquire about Goodwill's transitional employment programs, or contact a Goodwill staff member in your area call (203) 581-5327 for Bridgeport/Greenwich or call (860)-578-5456 for the Hartford area.

Download a PDF fact sheet of this program here.