Goodwill has partnered with Northstar, a digital literacy assessment platform to assess learners’ computer skills. The Northstar Digital Literacy Certificate is made up of 11 assessments testing your digital literacy, or ability to use computers. This certification can be obtained by attending the 3-day Basic Computer Classes that are offered monthly within our career centers and virtually through Goodwill’s My Career Advisor website.
As a Goodwill Facilitator, it is my passion and my purpose to deliver no-cost training for computer skills, soft skills, and job skills webinars to learners within the community. We also provide opportunities to tutor and additional resources found on the My Career Advisor website, which may aid you in understanding all the concepts you will be tested on while taking your Northstar assessments.
Why is This Important to Me?
Obtaining a Northstar certification confirms that the learner who receives it has the digital skills to compete in most job markets.
Just how important are digital skills in today’s society? Most job applications are available online only, which means you’ll need to know how to navigate through the internet in order to apply. If an employer contacts you for an interview, you’ll most likely receive an email requiring you to reply back with an updated copy of your resume. This Northstar training can help you.
Have you ever ordered your groceries off of Instacart or requested a ride from Uber? The person responsible for bringing your groceries to your home or driving you to your desired destination use their company’s mobile application every day to do their job.
Trust me, you’ll want to invest your time into taking the Basic Computer Classes and earning your Northstar Digital Literacy Certification. Do you have a career in mind but aren’t sure how to gain the necessary skills for it? This is how you will accomplish that very thing!
Don’t just take my word for it. Here are a few success stories of past Northstar recipients:
Henry had a background in the warehouse industry, but was needing additional computer skills. He went through Basic Computer Classes, earned his Northstar, and was hired as a Warehouse Supervisor.
Alma needed to refresh her computer skills. She attended Basic Computer Classes, earned her Northstar, and was hired as a Customer Service Representative the next week.
Kelly had a professional background of working within the insurance industry and she wanted to increase her knowledge of computers and Microsoft Office Suite. While studying to complete her Northstar she had applied for a Customer Service Representative position with a well-known insurance company and was hired. She started her new job the following month.
How Do I Receive the Northstar certification?
After taking the 3-day Basic Computer Class and passing all 11 modules (Basic Computer Skills, Internet Basics, Using Email, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Mac OS, Windows 10, Social Media, Information Literacy, Career Search Skills), you will receive your Northstar Certification. From there, you will be prepared to update your resume and possibly get a position that will set you up to be in a stronger job and financial situation.
How Can I Get Started?
Are you ready to transform your skills and your career? Are you ready to learn, willing to apply yourself, and able to attend three days of training that will jumpstart that next step in obtaining career growth?
To find out more information on the closest career center and to start your learning journey, please call (602) 535-4444. To learn more about the other trainings we offer, click here.
Author Bio:
Shawnnah is a career center facilitator who works with the jobseekers in our community. Her focus is providing training and upskilling to our jobseekers to prepare them for their job search journey. She enjoys working for Goodwill because she enjoys breaking down complicated content into simplistic terms, working with a purpose, and here ability to serve the community in a way that makes a long-lasting impression on their lives.
