Workforce board awards grants to assist out-of-school youth
March 12, 2018
The State Workforce Development Board awarded $400,000 to two organizations to assist out-of-school youths complete their education and hone their employability skills.
The organizations – S.C. Vocational Rehabilitation Department and Trident Literary Association – received $200,000 each to be spent over a 24-month period to develop programs that replicate the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) in-school model, which was piloted in South Carolina in 2005.
“We are pleased to be partnering with these organization and look forward to the work they will be doing to reach out-of-school youths in their areas, helping them improve their level of education and to become more employable by removing barriers that are keeping them back,” said Jay Holloway, chairman of SWDB’s Priority Population committee.
SCVRD will partner with the Wil Grey Opportunity School in the Midlands to engage out of school youth in GED preparation and testing, intensive job preparedness activities, work-based learning experiences, demand-driven occupational skills/postsecondary training, and wraparound support services to achieve competitive employment in career pathways. The project will include alignment with industry sectors identified in the state as requiring workforce development efforts to bridge existing skills gaps: diversified manufacturing; business and information technology services; health care; transportation, logistics and wholesale trade; and construction.
The Trident Literacy Association will incorporate a holistic learning environment that is successful with small groups of no more than five students per teacher in basic academics, ESL classes and competency-based curriculum. With a small group, students have opportunities to develop relationships with peers and trust teachers. Participants will be organized into six cohorts of five students by level of skill/knowledge and time of day they are available to participate in classroom experiences. Interactive classroom activities, including guest speakers, role play, and small and larger group activities, will be developed based on the 20 JAG Out-of-School modules and expected competencies.
Two to three different modules will be scheduled each week, and rotate every seven to ten weeks. Each module will be available for two-hours in the morning, afternoon, and evening for a total of 24 hours per week.
JAG-SC is entering its 13th year of service and has assisted more than 11,000 in-school students through 25 JAG-affiliated sites.
About DEW
The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce is putting South Carolinians to work. The agency invests in building a pipeline of quality workers, matches workers with jobs, and is a bridge for individuals who find themselves out of work for no fault of their own. This promotes financial stability and economic prosperity for employers, individuals and communities.DEW is dedicated to advancing South Carolina through services that meet the needs of the state’s businesses, jobseekers and those looking to advance their careers.
