Goodwill Industries takes employment services on the road.

Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands unveiled Mission Mobile in a pair of ceremonies this month that the organization says will help employers find workers and people find jobs by overcoming a transportation challenge.

The organization has for years provided employment and career services at Job Connection sites across its 16-county territory. Mission Mobile will make those services more easily available to what Goodwill says is a significant portion of the population that doesn't have access to transportation.

Palmetto Goodwill has a similar plan.

"Over my nearly 30 years with Goodwill, the needs of jobseekers and businesses has evolved over time," Goodwill President and CEO Pat Michaels said in an announcement May 4 at the Goodwill store on North Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville. "Goodwill is always looking for ways to adapt and meet those needs. Mission Mobile will allow us to make those services and opportunities more accessible to our neighbors across the state. That's a good thing."

The lack of transportation options has long been cited by health and human service experts, employers, and community leaders as a barrier to accessing employment and education, Michaels said.

Mission Mobile is a 30-foot air conditioned, wheelchair-accessible vehicle that offers Job Connection services such as skills assessment, job interviews, training tools and career coaching.

Mission Mobile had scheduled appearances and job fairs into July. The services are free, both to the job seekers and the companies and organizations looking for employees.

"So the bus goes to those locations and the location could be a business, it could be a community center, it could be a church, whoever wants to partner with us," said Brock Koonce, marketing and public relations manager for Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands. "Lots of nonprofits are there that may not provide career services, like resume building, skills training, interviewing skills. What this bus does is offer opportunities, in line with businesses, to provide onsite interviews. And if the businesses don't have the capacity to do onboarding, we can also...