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“Goodwill Goes Green” teaches eco-friendly skills to people who are having a hard time finding work.

"When I first got down here, I could not find a job,” Austinite Scott Frederick said. “Nobody would take a chance, nobody wanted to do the background checks. I had a lot of problems trying to find a job."

However, the folks at Goodwill gave him a chance. Frederick was trained to disable computers, a skill he learned while working for the nonprofit.

"We work with people who have barriers to employment, so maybe it's age or a disability of some kind or previous incarceration, so we really are focused on finding those folks employment," Goodwill Marketing Director Liz Moise said.

That was only the beginning for Frederick. Now he's enrolled in the “Goodwill Goes Green” program, where he's learning how to install environmentally-friendly equipment.

"I enjoy being outdoors more than anything, so I figured I'd end up taking a chance and I ended up liking it," he said.

After six weeks of training and a certification process, the participants of the program will have a better chance finding work in the green industry. The experience may even start them on a lasting career path.

"Basically I'm looking at probably, eventually opening up my own business doing it," Frederick said.

Goodwill Goes Green is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. In order to be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old, unemployed or a high school dropout.

For more information about how you can apply, click here. You can also find out more by e-mailing greenjobs@austingoodwill.org or you can call (512) 637-7163.