Funds on way to train workers

Jun 20, 2009 — The Sun News

Monique Newton

Jun. 20, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- A fast-track job training program for high-demand industries will expand on the Grand Strand in the next few months thanks to a $4 million grant from stimulus funds that will be shared by the state's 16 technical colleges.

"We're ready to go, as soon as the funding is available," said Greg Mitchell, vice president for work force development and continuing education at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, which offers the QuickJobs Carolina program.

On Monday, school officials will begin writing proposals to submit to the state to reap the benefits of the grant, Mitchell said.

Once proposals are submitted and approved, programs for certification and technician positions in construction, energy efficiency and information technology will begin in late summer and early fall.

QuickJobs programs in transportation and allied health will expand as well, with the tentative budget totaling around $270,000, Mitchell said.

"There's constant market analyzation to figure out what the needs are in the community," he said. "We will continue to tweak and develop programs as we see the market change."

The training offerings -- which now include everything from plumbing apprenticeships to culinary arts -- range from a couple of weeks to a year in length, with many resulting in certification in a particular field.

Tracey Dier, a 2009 graduate of the certified clinical medical assistant program, said she signed up so she could move from working in the front of a doctor's office, where she handled check-ins, check-outs and billing, to the back, where she could gain hands-on experience working with patients.

"It provides a better income for my family," said Dier, who has three children at home and three others who are grown. "I'm always able to move on, learn more."

This fall, less than a year after she began taking prerequisites for the program, Dier will begin working at Grand Strand Surgical Associates.

Cathy Fitzsimmons graduated this spring from the same program, which she started after retiring from a state job she held for 30 years.

"It was just time for me to do something different," she said. "I knew I didn't have time to be a nurse, because I'm 59 years old, but I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field."

Fitzsimmons said she learned to discipline herself through the program.

"After not going to school for so long, it kept me busy, it kept me reading, it kept my mind alert," she said. "It was very, very interesting."

QuickJobs has been around for more than 10 years at HGTC, but has recently grown by leaps and bounds in some areas because of the poor economy, Mitchell said.

Some of the apprenticeship enrollment numbers have increased by 120 percent and medical programs by 50 percent.

Students can qualify for tuition assistance through the Workforce Investment Act or the local One-Stop Career Center, Mitchell said.

Newstex ID: 35894206