Connecting People with Jobs
Though back into single digits in recent months, the unemployment rate in South Carolina still represents a lot of people who are out of work and a lot of families struggling to pay bills. Some of the unemployed are young people trying to land a first job. Others worked for years before a layoff and now need a different set of skills to reenter the job market. No matter what the circumstances, Greenville County offers an array of interlocking services designed to see that people don't fall through the cracks.
Betty Palmer was one of those people in danger of doing exactly that. After working for 19 years as a Certified Nursing Assistant, she lost her job and decided it was time to broaden her education. She went to Greenville County OneStop and received Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding for a phlebotomy class at Greenville Tech. She found work for several months and then decided to build on her phlebotomy skills and further enhance her resume with hemodialysis training that will allow her to help treat people who are on dialysis, observing patients and making sure the process runs smoothly. While WIA again provided tuition funds for Palmer to attend Greenville Tech, Michael's Way assisted with supplies, scrubs, books, insurance, and testing fees that will allow her to become board certified, a requirement for many employers.
Michael's Way helps adults break out of poverty through education, funding tuition when needed along with costs associated with education, including clothing and shoes required to complete clinicals, required immunizations, and more. Funding comes from grants, churches, corporations and individuals, making it possible for Michael's Way to have helped 177 people since the organization was established in 2004.
While Director Jan Howard is proud of that number, she also knows that 66 people are currently on the waiting list, showing how great the need is. A '70s Disco Fever event on June 25 at Larkin's Sawmill will help the organization raise money, with tickets available at $40 a person or $75 a couple (go to www.michaelswayupstate.org to learn more).
The Urban League's Project Reconnect, funded by a Workforce Investment Act grant, is aimed at the youngest of the unemployed, those ages 17-21 who are low income and have a barrier to education or employment. To help those without a high school diploma, Project Reconnect partners with Lifelong Learning to reconnect dropouts to GED programs and with high schools for those who want to return. For young people needing occupational skill training, the initiative works with the Quick Jobs program at Greenville Tech to provide solutions in 90 days or less. Work experience is part of Project Reconnect, and 17 employers give participants a chance to develop good work habits and to understand the expectations including productivity and attendance that are associated with career success.
Project Reconnect is hands-on, says Director Barbara Bass. "Many people don't know where to start, and they don't have a support system that knows. We walk them through the system so they can know how to do it for themselves," she says.
Central to efforts that assist both job seekers and employers is the Greenville County OneStop System. Established in 1998 under the Workforce Investment Act Program, OneStop centers are designed to bring together an array of services and tools that help people get and keep jobs. In Greenville County, 12 organizations and agencies serve as partners: AARP, DSS, Experience Works, Goodwill Industries, Lifelong Learning, Greenville Housing Authority, Greenville Literacy, Greenville Technical College, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, SHARE, and Voc Rehab. The system is administered and overseen by the Workforce Development Agency.
Resource centers offer core services to those 18 and up including Internet access so job seekers can apply online, help with interviewing skills, and access to partner services. Staff members assist people in finding where they need to go and what the next step should be using assessment tools to help develop a plan.
The WIA program is OneStop's training services effort, assisting those who qualify in a more intensive way. This program helps adults returning to the workforce, people who are facing financial burdens or hardships, those who've been laid off through no fault of their own, and young people from 17 to 21 who face employment and education barriers. The program helps employers find qualified people, too, and offers incentives for hiring WIA clients, offsetting training expenses by 50 percent or up to $5,000 for any individual brought on board.
Both levels of assistance impact many people. In an average month, WIA Assistant Administrator Rachael Angel reports, the area's three OneStop centers see 16,700 people, and the WIA program has served more than 1,500 people since July 2010.
So while people are making their way to the services provided, others are unaware of exactly what the OneStop system does. "An employer or a job seeker may have heard of us, but until you need that service you don't always keep it at the forefront," Angel says. "We've been told that we're still a best kept secret, and we don't want to be a secret. We want people to know about our services."
Knowing about the services available is key. "If you don't have the money to get an education and pay for it out of pocket, there's really no reason not to be able to go back, because there are people out there to help you," says Betty Palmer.