SC expands Second Chance jobs program

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce and the S.C. Department of Corrections has expanded the state’s Second Chance job training program to include the Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution for women.

Started in November 2014 at the Manning Reentry/Work Release Center in Columbia, the program is designed to help inmates successfully transition to employment and life after being released.  The program teaches inmates new skills and how to successfully search for a job. Since its inception, 765 people have completed the program.

Inmates begin the program six months prior to being released by learning soft skills and other employment-related skills for one hour a day. In the last 30 days before release, participants work with a DEW counselor to register in the SC Works system, organize their resume and apply for jobs online once released.

The Second Chance program helps participants to leverage the skills they’ve learned through work programs. Participants must meet specific requirements to be a part of the program, including a disciplinary-free record and non-violent offenses for incarceration.

This post contains excerpts from an article published by Columbia Regional Business Journal.  Read the full article here>>