Worklink to Receive Job Training Funds

The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) has been awarded $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to provide 223 dislocated individuals with classroom and on-the-job training.

The grant funding is for expanded training of dislocated workers so they can acquire industry-recognized credentials that lead to new career opportunities.

Training efforts will be prioritized for workers who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer and those likely to exhaust unemployment benefits.

Funding will further support customized training, registered apprenticeships and other approaches that connect individuals with employers.

In coordination with DEW, four Local Workforce Investment Areas submitted applications to the state outlining the need for and use of the funding. The following will be awarded to each participating area:

• Worklink (Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties): $55,357

• Upper Savannah (Laurens, Abbeville, Greenwood, Newberry, Saluda, McCormick and Edgefield counties): $725,014

• Greenville: $264,108

• Trident (Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties): $97,000

The remaining $58,775 will be used for administration and oversight of the implementation process.

The Palmetto State is one of 30 states to receive the Dislocated Worker Training National Emergency Grant, totaling $58 million nationwide.

By definition, dislocated workers have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, such as when layoffs result from the permanent closure of an office or plant.

“Though the economy continues to improve we must not forget about those hardest hit by the recent recession,” said DEW Executive Director Cheryl Stanton. “This grant will strengthen the effectiveness of South Carolina’s workforce system by providing critical training programs for those South Carolinians facing barriers to returning to work.”