Highlights from Program Year 2010

Business & Industry Showcase

The Youth Council provided transportation funding for more than 5,000 eighth- and ninth-grade students in Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens Counties to attend the Business & Industry Showcase in Littlejohn Coliseum on September 29, 2010.  The event offered students, parents and educators the opportunity to learn what area businesses do, what careers are in-demand, and what education is needed for various career paths.  Students explored their career options and can better answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” 

Students must answer this question as they develop Individual Graduation Plans required by the Education and Economic Development Act, a process that includes selecting a field of study or a career cluster to guide their academic studies.

The Pendleton Regional Education Center sponsored the event, in partnership with Anderson County Economic Development, Oconee County Economic Development Commission, Alliance Pickens, local businesses, and the school districts in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties. This year’s Showcase expanded on the success of the Industrial Product Showcase organized annually by the Oconee County Industrial Group (OCIG) to showcase the products made by local companies and to inform citizens about the importance of manufacturing.

QuickJobs Training Fairs

Job seekers looking for work in advanced manufacturing or truck driving had the opportunity to meet with employers and explore job training options at the QuickJobs Training Fairs offered in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties in October 2010. 

These pre-employment training fairs were held at Tri-County Technical College campuses and provided information about certifications for MSSC Production Technician, Mechatronics Technician, CNC Operator and CDL Truck Drivers. Attendees could participate in a screening interview with potential employers and meet with representatives from area agencies that can provide financial assistance for the QuickJobs training programs. Representatives from Tri-County Technical College, OneStop Workforce Centers, and Adult Education were onsite to help job seekers reach their educational goals through GED programs, the Workforce Investment Act program and other financial aid.

Highlights from Program Year 2009

Job Fairs

WorkLink Workforce Investment Board  hosted the Tri-County Community Job Fair on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Shaver Recreation Complex in Seneca, SC  Forty-five companies exhibited at the event, including manufacturers, healthcare and homecare, service industry representatives, work from home companies, and staffing agencies.  Area colleges and service providers also set up booths where job seekers could explore training options and other opportunities.

Employers estimate hiring at least 89 Job Fair participants in the next year, according to exit surveys. The exhibitors accepted more than 450 resumes and interviewed 158 job seekers during the event.  More than 575 job seekers participated in the 2010 Tri-County Community Job Fair.

The OneStops also offered online job search help and other services at job fairs throughout Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties.  In March, OneStop On-the-Go set up laptops at the College and Career Fair at Tri-County Technical College and offered job fair preparation and resume` writing workshops at the Anderson Independent-Mail’s Jobs Expo.

In addition, WorkLink Workforce Investment Board partnered with B93.7, WFBC, to provide Radio Resumes for job seekers in the Upstate.  For five weeks in March and April, the radio station selected job seekers to record: 60 second commercials detailing their experiences, skills and career aspirations.  The goal was to connect companies to their next employees, particularly those that employers might not have heard from before. By mid-April, 152 area job seekers had submitted their information and the station had received 326 text messages about the service.

Business Services

In 2009-2010, WorkLink signed Incumbent Worker Training agreements utilizing more than $300,000 to upgrade the skills of more than 487 incumbent workers in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties. For 2010-2011 WorkLink has awarded Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) Grants to 12 businesses in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties. The grant awards total $167,400.

On-the-Job Training (OJT), a counterpart program for new employees, aims to place adults and dislocated workers in jobs throughout Upstate South Carolina. From July 2009 to June 2010, 153 individuals, several of which were taken off unemployment insurance, have found work through the program. In 2008, OJT increased 327 percent, from 77 placements in 2007 to 329 new placements in 2008, with a 77.3 percent completion rate.

Summer Youth Employment Program

The Summer Youth Employment Program, administered by WorkLink Workforce Investment Board, provided work-readiness classes and soft-skills classes and work experience to youth in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties. Palmetto Youth Connections administered the out of school program, serving 79 students.  In Anderson School District 4, 41 students participated in the 2010 in-school program. Hamilton Career Center in Oconee County also lead a program for 26 youth who at a greenhouse and local farms. All participants earned a stipend of $50 for each of the two classes completed and $7.25 for each hour of work experience.

The program is funded through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act.  Employers supervised the students during the four-week program and provided training on general job skills, as well as industry-specific techniques. WorkLink also administered a summer 2009 program that served 514 area youth.

Youth Forum/Services Fair

WorkLink Workforce Investment Board hosted a Services Fair on May 22, 2010, to showcase community resources available in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties. The event featured a “smoke house” from the Pendleton Fire Department and offered free health screenings provided through The Salem Lions Club, Baptist Easley Hospital, and Kool Smiles.  More than 30 agencies gathered in the Student Center at Tri-County Technical College to share their services.

The Services Fair was provided through WorkLink Workforce Investment Board’s Youth Council as a way to facilitate collaboration and the delivery of services for all youth and their families with a goal of educational, workplace and personal success.