Community Renewal Good Stories - Columbia/Sumter

Information by State  Print version

Work Initiative Program Teams EZ Residents With Local Employers

Columbia/Sumter, South Carolina, EZ

With a shortage of skilled carpenters and masons in the region, the Columbia/ Sumter, South Carolina, EZ launched the Work Initiative Program (WIP) to offer skills training in these construction trades to underemployed or unemployed EZ residents. "We're attempting to fill an industry void by providing a skilled work force, and we are meeting the needs of the residents of the Empowerment Zone by creating job opportunities," said Milton Smalls, the EZ's CEO. "e;The WIP program is what the Empowerment Zone was set up to do, to create public-private partnerships that would come in and fill the needs of the community."e;

The WIP offers three 10-week training programs each year to help EZ residents attain marketable skills in carpentry and masonry. Participants who complete a minimum of 9 weeks of training receive a certificate from the National Center for Construction Education and Research.

Various organizations refer applicants to the WIP, including the Columbia Housing Authority, the Employment Security Commission, South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation, the Department of Social Services, the Tennessee Development Corporation, Benedict College, and the Home Builders Institute Project Take Heart. Only those who are underemployed or unemployed may receive the nominal, incentive-driven weekly stipend that considers attendance, test scores, and skills demonstration.

Employers in the Columbia/Sumter EZ have a significant financial incentive to hire WIP graduates. Employers in the EZ can receive up to $3,000 yearly in Federal wage tax credits for each employee who lives in the EZ. "Not only does it allow the construction industry to take advantage of the tax incentives and tax credits that the Empowerment Zone offers, it also provides above average wages for our residents," said Smalls. "So it's a win-win situation for everyone involved."

In 2003 more than 200 people applied to WIP; 76 were accepted into the program. About 80 percent of the participants graduated into full-time employment. In 2004 WIP expanded each of the 3 sessions to 12 weeks to incorporate soft-skills training.

For more information on the programs of the Columbia/Sumter EZ, contact Director Tony Lawton at (803) 545-3950.