Many organizations today, across a wide range of sectors and business lines, are turning to Salesforce to fuel innovation. While these tech adopters typically see tremendous returns on these investments, some are hitting roadblocks as they attempt to build teams with the right people, possessing the right skills, capable of operating such technology.
Talent for Good, a multi-faceted Salesforce training program from Cloud for Good, seeks to lift the burden off organizations experiencing such staffing challenges. As the only Salesforce Registered Apprenticeship program recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, Talent for Good helps to cultivate a skilled, sustainable pipeline of Salesforce System Administrators, Business Analysts, and Developers that are contract-to-hire ready. Talent for Good apprentices undergo an immersive training program, all while being paid and receiving access to Cloud for Good employee benefits, before being assigned to work with Cloud for Good clients once the training has been completed.
Shemar Sinclair, a member of the second Talent for Good cohort, sought to better himself after realizing his career path wasn’t lining up with his professional goals and aspirations. Prior to joining Talent for Good, Sinclair worked as the store manager for a storage company. As a recent computer information systems graduate, Sinclair was still deciding on what direction to take his budding career when a new pathway suddenly became illuminated.
“I was introduced to Salesforce by one of my college professors and I fell in love with the platform,” says Sinclair. “I wanted to use Salesforce to make a difference. When I heard about Talent for Good, I thought it was too good to be true. I knew that this program would be the perfect place for me to begin my Salesforce journey.”
Sinclair turned to Talent for Good and took the rigorous training program head on. He excelled during the preparation period and was quickly embedded into the internal Salesforce team of Cloud for Good client SAE International (SAE) upon completion.
A partner of Cloud for Good’s for many years and several projects, SAE was in need of an administrator solely dedicated to the health and well-being of the organization’s Salesforce system. Freshly trained on the very skills SAE was in search of, Sinclair took on the role of system administrator and promptly became responsible for critical support tasks, such as creating a standard set of data imports, fields, profiles, roles, etc., building reports and dashboards, and establishing operating procedures used to onboard new affiliates into Salesforce.
“Talent for Good has helped me grow as a professional and as an individual,” says Sinclair. “The training I received not only helped me develop hard skills within the Salesforce ecosystem, but I also developed a plethora of soft skills, including better communication, problem-solving, time management, and adaptability, which I use daily while working with SAE.”
For SAE, the search for a dedicated system administrator that could have taken up significant time and resources was efficiently completed through the streamlined nature of the Talent for Good program. “We saved months that would have been spent looking for the right person and instead filled the open Salesforce Admin position immediately with someone ready to hit the ground running and help us make a difference,” says Jodie Mohnkern, Strategic Marketing Manager, Database Management at SAE International. “Talent for Good is a true difference maker for any organization experiencing hiring challenges.”
For Sinclair, an opportunity that once seemed too good to be true is now providing both personal and professional fulfillment.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity Talent for Good has given me,” says Sinclair. “I am now able to do what I love while making a positive impact…Talent for Good has truly changed my life.”
If you or someone you know is facing hiring challenges in the Salesforce space, contact Cloud for Good today.
Story written by Blake Becker
Publish Date: 07/26/2023