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Verizon to invest $70 million in AI training effort. Published on 09/23/2026 at 08:02 am EDT - Modified on 09/23/2026 at 10:26 am EDT WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Verizon said on Wednesday it would invest $70 million in a nationwide effort to provide AI training to job seekers, small businesses and educators, as the US economy adapts to rapid technological change. The US telecom company is partnering with non-profit programs such as Goodwill Industries and aims to provide AI training to hundreds of thousands of people using training resources from companies including IBM, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI. "AI will change the face of the workforce," Verizon CEO Dan Schulman said in an interview. "We can't do it alone, by the way, but maybe we can inspire and be a bit of a role model." Schulman wants other large companies to join the effort and help fund programs that equip workers with skills for specific AI-related jobs. "It's in the self-interest of all business leaders to step up," Schulman said. "If every Fortune 100 (company) put $50 million or $70 million into this, we have a multibillion-dollar fund." Verizon last year committed $20 million to help departing employees gain AI skills after announcing plans to cut 13,000 jobs. The new initiative adds a further $50 million. "We are very focused on relevant skills for relevant jobs in a transitioning economy," said Goodwill Industries CEO Steven Preston in an interview. "The requirement for AI in job descriptions by employers has just gone up exponentially. So they're looking for people who can apply AI in specific skills." The Verizon platform will offer free training tailored to specific occupations. Many workers view AI training as a "black hole", Preston said, because they are unsure where to begin. Goodwill began providing digital skills training in 2017 as employers increasingly demanded technology skills across a wide range of jobs. "This is providing access to meaningful roles that many people wouldn't have been able to compete for before," Preston said. Verizon senior vice president Donna Epps said the company chose to partner with an organisation such as Goodwill because it already has a strong presence in local communities and can provide hands-on support. "It's a massive challenge to create a AI ready workforce in the U.S.," Epps said. (Reporting by David Shepardson. Editing by David Goodman and Mark Potter) By David Shepardson (C) Reuters - 2026

Goodwill joins Junior Achievement plan for student career center. Jacksonville Florida Times-Union Sept. 16, 2026, 10:05 a.m. ET Goodwill Industries of North Florida is the latest partner for Junior Achievement's new Experiential Learning Center that will provide hands-on experiences in financial literacy, career readiness and entrepreneurship for 30,000 students annually.

Goodwill opens specialty record store in downtown Matthews, North Carolina. September 8, 2026 Goodwill Industries is betting that vinyl records, cassette tapes, and vintage audio gear still have a market, and it's putting a brand-new specialty store called "Rewind" at the center of that wager in a small-town North Carolina downtown. The store opens September 4 at 10 a.m. at 100 W. Matthews St. in Matthews, a town of roughly 30,000 about ten miles southeast of Charlotte. The location previously served as a Goodwill donation drop-off site. Now it will stock second-hand and vintage vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, music-themed apparel and collectibles, vintage audio equipment, game systems, boom boxes, turntables, and record players. A listening room will let customers test media before buying. The first 50 people in line get a limited-edition Rewind tote bag. A prize wheel will also be on hand for the grand opening, though Goodwill has not disclosed what prizes are available. On opening day, the store will keep extended hours until 8 p.m. Goodwill pitches "the thrill of the hunt" for physical media. A Goodwill spokesperson framed the store as part of a broader push into specialty retail, telling The Sun: "As Goodwill continues to expand its lineup of specialty stores, we're excited to invest even further in the Matthews community and create a destination where the timeless appeal of physical media lives on." The spokesperson also leaned into the treasure-hunt angle that thrift shoppers know well: "Whether you're searching for a nostalgic favorite, building your collection, or discovering something completely unexpected, Rewind offers the thrill of the hunt and the chance to uncover hidden treasures." Rewind is the latest example of Goodwill affiliates across the country moving beyond the traditional thrift-store model. The nonprofit has recently launched a first-ever hardware store concept in South Carolina, signaling that the organization sees room to compete in niche retail categories where second-hand goods carry real value. The Matthews location will continue accepting donations of all items except furniture, keeping its original community function alongside the new retail concept. Physical media keeps finding buyers even as streaming dominates. Vinyl records have staged a well-documented comeback over the past decade, and thrift stores sit at the center of that market for collectors hunting bargains. Goodwill's move to dedicate an entire storefront to records, tapes, and vintage gear suggests the organization sees enough demand, and enough donated inventory, to justify a standalone shop rather than a bin in the corner of a regular store. That strategy fits a pattern. Goodwill affiliates have been experimenting with specialty formats and aggressive promotions to drive foot traffic. Some locations have dropped clothing prices to two dollars for single-day promotions, while others have invested heavily in modernizing their retail operations. One affiliate in Texas, for instance, has been revamping stores and expanding AI-driven pricing as part of a broader makeover. And in Cleveland, Goodwill has confirmed plans for a grocery store inside a $40 million opportunity center, a project that stretches the nonprofit's retail ambitions well past donated sweaters and paperback novels. Rewind is a smaller bet than a grocery store or a multimillion-dollar community center. But the logic is the same: find a category where donated goods have real resale value, put them in a dedicated space, and give shoppers a reason to walk through the door. Community reaction suggests pent-up demand. Local response, at least among the comments Goodwill has highlighted, ran enthusiastic. One person said they planned to skip work for the opening: "Man I wish the Grand Opening was Saturday, instead of Friday. I have to work on Friday, but I plan on being there anyway." Another simply called it "epic." Goodwill has not said whether Rewind is a one-off experiment or the start of a multi-location rollout. The nonprofit also hasn't disclosed the store's square footage or its regular operating hours beyond the extended opening-day schedule. Those details will matter if the concept is going to scale. For now, the pitch is straightforward: show up early on September 4, dig through the crates, and maybe walk out with a first pressing you didn't know existed. In a retail landscape dominated by algorithms and subscription fees, there's something refreshingly simple about a store that just puts used records on a shelf and lets you flip through them.