Photos by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Job-seekers in Darlington got a helping hand last Tuesday as the SC Works Career Coach pulled into the A.W. Stanley Gym and spent the morning connecting workers with prospective employers.
Area businesses set up information booths inside the gym so visitors could learn about careers in fields ranging from pest control to HVAC repair to firefighting and emergency medical care.
Employers included federal agencies like the U.S. Census Bureau, local organizations like PDRTA (Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority) and Darlington County Fire District, local businesses like Kentco Heating and Cooling and Terminix, and educational institutions like Florence-Darlington Technical College.
“This is our first event like this, and we’re hoping to continue it and to bring more and more employers in to participate,” said Vicky Tyner, Regional Manager for the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.
“We’re trying to assess people that are looking for jobs … and we have lots of assorted employers here today. We also have our SC Works Career Coach here as well. Inside, there are 10 laptops with Wi-Fi accessibility. Folks can go in and do a resume, fill out applications online, or look for other available jobs.”
The wheelchair-accessible Career Coach is equipped with 10 Internet-connected workstations, printers, and a job coach is on board to assist and answer questions. Onboard, job seekers can prepare or update their resumes, prep for interviews, and sharpen their computer skills.
For those in need of training, SC Works can help through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) which aids dislocated workers — both youths and adults — who cannot find suitable employment.
“If people sign up with WIOA and their case worker finds that they need additional training for a particular job, they can send them back to school and then follow up with them to help them find a job when they complete their training,” said Tyner.
Programs like the Career Coach and WIOA might help South Carolina’s record unemployment rate drop even lower. According to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, our state’s unemployment rate has fallen below 3 percent for the first time, dropping to 2.9 percent in September from 3.2 percent in August. The estimated number of unemployed South Carolina residents fell to 69,179 — a drop of 8,130 since August.
Tyner noted that events like this Darlington career fair are important because they help both active job seekers and those who might have given up the search due to frustration and a perceived lack of opportunities.
“There are so many good jobs out there that need to be filled,” said Tyner. “That’s why we’re trying to include a lot of the technical jobs and skilled jobs. They’re not getting a lot of applications because often people aren’t aware of (those openings) and we’re trying to boost that.”
To book the SC Career Coach for your next event, or to learn more about WIOA and other helpful programs, visit scworks.org.
