Lowcountry Careers Collaborative in healthcare aims to train 1,000 individuals

The Lowcountry Careers Collaborative has reached a significant milestone, advancing into phase three to initiate the implementation of the Good Jobs Challenge grant awarded by the Economic Development Agency (EDA).

“We are thrilled with the progress of the Lowcountry Careers Collaborative in Healthcare. This achievement represents a pivotal step forward in our mission to increase access to quality employment opportunities within our community and promote economic mobility,” said Celeste Granger, Senior Vice President of Programs and Initiatives for the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. “We are extremely grateful for the dedication of our partners and are eager to make meaningful impact in the lives of underserved Tri-County residents.”

Launched in 2022 by the Charleston Chamber Foundation in collaboration with Roper St. Francis Healthcare and Educate, Empower, and Elevate Foundation (E3), the Collaborative’s mission is to connect healthcare employers, training providers and community organizations to prepare workers in the Tri-County for high-quality career pathways that offer increased access to economic mobility.

Recruitment efforts are now underway for training programs targeting roles for patient care technicians, certified medical assistants, certified nursing assistants and phlebotomists. Through the Collaborative, participants will receive comprehensive case management and access to support services to foster their success.

Since the grant was awarded, the Charleston Chamber Foundation, alongside partners such as GOODSTOCK Consulting serving as project manager, has diligently built the foundation of the program. Key accomplishments include:

• Gathered input from over 1,275 Tri-County residents through surveys, focus groups and community forums to inform program development.
• Conducted in-depth research on the career-related barriers faced by underserved communities and identified service gaps to inform wraparound service delivery efforts.
• Completed a successful pilot program with All In Vein Phlebotomy, LLC, which supported five individuals in successfully completing phlebotomy training.
• Led five of the region’s healthcare employers through the Talent Pipeline Management framework, facilitating unified hiring requirements and commitments to recruiting Collaborative participants.
• Launched a grassroots recruitment campaign in collaboration with training provider partners and community organizations, resulting in the submission of approximately 100 interest forms.

As the Collaborative transitions into the next phase of work, key progress and priorities include:

• Received approval from the EDA to proceed into the third phase and program implementation, providing access to over $6 million in funds that will pay for training programs, childcare, transportation and other wraparound supports.
• Establishing the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments as a sub-recipient to leverage resources from multiple federal grants, maximizing benefits for Tri-County residents through co-enrollment and an effective case management system.
• Initiating a targeted grassroots recruitment campaign utilizing a strategic social media approach to engage minority, rural and economically disadvantaged communities.

Successes achieved during Phase II were a result of the vast amount of support received from employers and community partners in conducting surveys, interviews, community forums, focus groups, curriculum workshops, recruitment webinars and other engagement efforts. As LCC continues to take shape and moves into the next phase of implementation, we look forward to strengthening these partnerships to ensure our region’s experts in equity, healthcare and workforce development are guiding our efforts to increase access to quality career pathways for our community. For more information, contact us at [email protected].

About the Charleston Metro Chamber

With approximately 1,600 member organizations representing 160,000 professionals, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce serves as the collective voice of the business community, and a catalyst for regional economic advancement and member success through Government Relations, Community Advancement and Membership platforms. Visit charlestonchamber.org.