Sumter Economic Development

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Sumter's First REWARD Class Graduates

8/28/2009

Twenty-two graduates of a collaborative adult education and workforce development project received their credentials last week, representing the first class to navigate the REWARD education program held at Sumter-Lee Adult Education.  

The free five-week program sought to remind students of knowledge and skills they may have forgotten through the years, as well as to teach them new skills so they can find a job in today’s marketplace. The program teaches a mixture of vocational and academic skills, including workplace concepts like team building and problem solving, as well as basic life skills like reading and math. REWARD is a project of the State of South Carolina, with the local program a collaboration of the Sumter Development Board, the Sumter Smarter Growth Initiative, the Sumter Industrial Association, Central Carolina Technical College and Sumter-Lee Adult Education. REWARD is an acronym for Rural Economic Workforce Alliance for Resource Development.  

Ella Mae Wright, 46, is one such graduate. Having been laid off from her textile industry job in late 2007, she enrolled in the program hoping to find some kind of edge that might help her find gainful employment.  

“It was a great program. Just wonderful. I learned so much and I really enjoyed learning it,” Wright said. “I learned there are opportunities out there for me, and (the program instructors) showed me how to take advantage of them.” Wright is continuing with her education at Sumter-Lee Adult Education with the goal of landing a job in the health care industry.  

Wright said computers were always intimidating before the REWARD program, but now she can complete simple tasks like looking for a job online and building a resume.  

“I never worked on a computer before, but I feel confident about them now. I can do so much more now,” Wright said.  

In addition to remedial skills, class participants helped create their Workkeys assessments, which is a program designed to match employers with workers who have the skills they need. Students of the REWARD program also earn their 10-hour OSHA card, proving they have successful been educated on workplace safety. Both WorkKeys and OSHA training make job candidates much more appealing to employers.  

Sharon Teigue, director of Sumter-Lee County Adult Education, said REWARD was primarily designed for displaced workers such as a long-term employee of a local factory that closed down, but it is open to any adult needing a skills boost.  

“These are mostly folks who worked for years and lost their jobs, almost always through no fault of their own,” Teigue said. “They came from places where they knew their jobs well, but now that their jobs are gone, they need retraining so they can compete for the jobs that still exist in the area.”  

Teigue said several of the students have gone on to apply to Central Carolina Technical College, and others have already found work. She said it’s her great hope that graduates continue on with their educations, even after finding jobs, pledging themselves to lives of learning and improving.  

Wright said she does have one regret about successfully completing the program.  

“I wish I could go through it again,” she said. “I really enjoyed it, and I learned so much.”  

The next REWARD class begins this fall. To apply, visit Sumter-Lee Adult Education located at 905 N. Main St. in Sumter. For more information about South Carolina’s REWARD program, visit www.rewardsc.org.