Young Job Seekers Can Receive Free Training, Inside Track on Career Opportunities
November 19, 2014
Thursday, November 20 | 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Auditorium of Greenville Tech’s Buck Mickel Center
A partnership of Greenville non-profit organizations, the Greenville County Workforce Development and Greenville Technical College will host a Youth Career Fair on Thursday, November 20 targeted at unemployed 17-21 year olds in Greenville County. The Career fair will provide attendees with the opportunity to gain free job training, earn their GED or high school diploma, get paid on the job experience and take advantage of job placement support, organizers say.
Local organizers of the program, along with community leaders, political officials, educators and manufacturing industry executives will host the program, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Auditorium of Greenville Tech’s Buck Mickel Center at 216 S. Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville. Youth and parents interested in learning more about the program are invited to attend. Breakfast and lunch will also be provided.
“Greenville County youth, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who may have dropped out of school prior to graduation, represent an important constituency in our community, and this program is designed to help them develop the skills and talents to become long-term contributors to the community and to support their families,” said Natalie Milom, Program Manager with the Greenville Region Workforce Collaborative, which is organizing the event on November 20th.
The program will include business and government leaders speaking on the importance of supporting youth with innovative manufacturing training programs, along with instructors from Greenville Tech addressing questions of youth and parents interested in the training program, and counselors to assist youth to apply to participate in the initiative.
The free training is valued at more than $2,200 for initial training, and includes additional counseling in financial management, career planning and other factors essential to maintaining and advancing in a career opportunity. After completing initial training, students can gain advanced skills training in several high-demand disciplines including CNC machining, multi-skill maintenance, welding and quality assurance, and in most cases can receive paid work experience with top employers at local manufacturing sites.
The Career Skills Now (CSN) training program is designed to help motivated individuals build careers in today’s rapidly expanding manufacturing arena, and should particularly appeal to youth who are unemployed or underemployed in a low-wage job with a current employer, but who want to “take the next step to better themselves,” said John Baker, the Career Skills Now program’s executive director.
“This is an opportunity for an individual to change his or her life for the better, and to create opportunities to learn, grow and build a career they can be proud of,” said Baker, who heads up the program. “We expect participants who sign up to work hard, attend the training diligently, and be fully committed to this learning opportunity. And for those who do, we expect to place upwards of 90% of the training graduates in quality jobs with some of the Upstate’s top manufacturers.”
To participate in the program, youth must be between the ages of 17 and 21, have low income, need assistance with becoming employed, be a Greenville county resident and US citizen or hold permanent status. While in the program, participants must earn a high school diploma or GED and gain a WorkKeys Silver level or higher Career Readiness Certificate prior to beginning the initial SCMC training. The initial training can be accomplished in as little as six weeks, after which there are ongoing placement opportunities
The Career Skills Now program has earned national honors from the National Fund’s Partners Council Award for Exemplary Industry Partnership for its work to connect low-wage workers and job seekers with the training and certifications needed to meet the hiring needs of local manufacturers. Since its start, 303 Career Skills Now participants have earned their occupational skills certificate “making them significantly more marketable,” said Baker. Of the participants, 213 have already secured new jobs.
To apply directly to the program while space is available, attend the program on November 20th or visit www.CareerSkillsNow.com.
ABOUT GRWC
A National Fund collaborative partner, the Greenville Region Workforce Collaborate (GRWC) is comprised of a diverse group of private, public and nonprofit organizations from across the Upstate—uniting the interests of economic development and human service organizations. Program funders include Community Foundation of Greater Greenville, Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Greenville County, Greenville County Workforce Investment Board, Greenville Technical College, Hollingsworth Funds, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, readySC and United Way of Greenville County.
