|
Regional Program Building Pool of Certified Workers for Industry
Local residents in Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton Counties can be tested and trained for certification for the WorkKeys® System free of charge through a new regional program funded by The Workforce Development Skills Gap Closure Grant.
According to Rhonda McElveen, coordinator of the regional program,“ The WorkKeys® Certified Regional Initiative was launched to assist in preparing our workforce for local and prospective industrial employment opportunities. WorkKeys® is a system developed to universally measure an individual’s skills and match people to jobs-- and is used as a standard by most industrial employers.”
McElveen added that the skills measured are transferable skills, or those needed on most jobs
“Tasks on the assessments are based on workplace situations, but do not require job specific knowledge,” said McElveen. “In taking the WorkKeys® assessment, you are not competing with others; you are comparing your skills to the skills employers need.”
“The WorkKeys® System measures real world skills, and many of our local industries and the new industries talking with us about creating jobs for skilled workers in our area use the WorkKeys® certification system,” said SouthernCarolina Alliance President Danny Black. “That’s why SouthernCarolina Alliance partnered with USC-Salkehatchie, Denmark Technical College, Allendale SCOOTER-LRTA, Adult Education Centers, ESC-One Stop Centers, and the Rural Crossroads Institute of the S.C. Department of Commerce to secure and implement the grant for our area.”
According to Black, in a recent study commissioned by The Palmetto Institute, some employers have expressed a preference for a job-seeker’s possession of a WorkKeys® “card” over a high school diploma because employers recognize that a WorkKeys®-assessed job candidate has demonstrated the ability to perform at a prescribed functional or technical level. Those who qualify for the program include area high school seniors, dislocated workers, incumbent workers, high school drop outs, the underemployed and the unemployed.
Skills assessed by WorkKeys® include: Applied Mathematics, Applied Technology, Listening, Locating Information, Observation, Reading for Information, Teamwork And Writing. To be certified, one needs to score at a Level 3 in three categories: Reading for Information, Locating Information, & Applied Mathematics.
“If you are satisfied with your skill levels, then use your skill reports to tell employers what you can do,” said McElveen. “Describe your strengths in terms of skills that are important in the workplace.”
“If you want to improve your skills levels, then use your skill reports to plan education and training to fill in your skill gaps,” McElveen added. “Focus your education on reachable goals.”
The grant provides for free training and assessment in the WorkKeys® System and arranged job interviews. For more information on the program, contact Rhonda McElveen at 803.541.0023.
Bamberg County Job Opportunities
Bamberg County will occasionally have full-time and part-time employment opportunities available for a wide-range of positions throughout our County. For your convenience, the Bamberg County Chamber of Commerce has provided an electronic version of the County’s employment application that may be downloaded and printed from this website. Bamberg County employment positions are specific to Bamberg County employment and do not apply to private County industry/businesses and organizations. If you are interested in working for other County entities such as the hospital, schools, etc., those establishments will have to be contacted directly.
A partial listing of Bamberg County employment opportunities include County law enforcement, detention center staff, many of the court house positions, county custodians and maintenance workers, Bamberg County library staff, emergency service personnel, and much more.
For additional information about specific County employment opportunities, contact Mrs. Ruthie Brown.
Mrs. Ruthie Brown
Personnel Director
Bamberg County, South Carolina
2959 Main Highway
P.O. Box 149
Bamberg, SC 29003-0149
Office: (803) 245-5191
MAJOR BAMBERG COUNTY EMPLOYERS
Brabham Oil Company Inc.
Bamberg County Memorial Hospital
Denmark Technical College
Bamberg School District #1
Bamberg County School District #2
Voorhees College
Goodrich Pump & Engine Control Systems
A B L Management Inc.
Rockland Industries Inc.
Enterprise Bank of South Carolina
Lifetime Doors Inc.
Specialty Washer Company Of South Carolina
Bamberg County
Bamberg County Disabilities & Special Needs Board
Edisto Electric Cooperative Inc.
SC Dept Of Transportation
Kearse Mfg. Co.
Boddie-Noell Enterprises Inc.
Kinsouth Corporation
Information from The South Carolina Employment Security Commission
www.sces.org
|
