The Permian Basin is rich in oil and job opportunities, but some job seekers need a little extra help to get connected with the right employer.
The Odessa Career Center serves as that connector. The center has served 322 West Texans in 2021. It services 10 out of the 35 counties in the Goodwill West Texas territory, and with the help of the Odessa Career Specialist, job seekers have been connected with opportunities state and even world wide.
Jodi Burdette, the center’s career specialist, found that she could create the most impact through attending oilfield job fairs.
At the events, she added numerous employment partners to Goodwill’s directory and established valuable relationships with those employer representatives. Those partnerships enabled her to connect job seekers with employers that not only had job openings, but would be a best fit based on the individual’s specific needs.
Goodwill’s investment in a client doesn’t stop once they step into their first day of work. In the Permian, clients proudly send first-day-of-work photos to Jodi. One client announced his proud news on his social media channel, then sent the post to Jodi.
“Yesterday, I was hired by one of the best companies in the oilfield,” he said. “If you guys out there don’t know about the people at Goodwill, they are truly amazing at what they do and (they) care about showing guys like me that there is hope.”