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SC Works Upstate gets grant for Operation Educate

Staff Report //November 13, 2019//

SC Works Upstate gets grant for Operation Educate

Staff Report //November 13, 2019//

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SC Works Upstate, overseen by the Upstate Workforce Board, will expand its Operation Educate program through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Opportunities in Rural Communities program.

The Operation Educate program offers manufacturing and construction job training through virtual reality simulation inside the Spartanburg County Detention Center. In addition, the program will partner with employers to ensure that detainees have jobs waiting for them upon release. As a result, 89% of Operation Educate participants will receive employment immediately when they get out, according to a news release. The grant will allow the program to train more detainees in Spartanburg and expand the program to the Cherokee County Detention Center.

SC Works Upstate is part of a $2.1 million grant that also included Spartanburg Community College and the United Way of the Piedmont.

"To make a difference, you have to think outside the box. From a workforce development perspective, we have a win-win program with Operation Educate," Dana Wood, Upstate Workforce Board COO, said in the release. "It's a program that changes lives, restores families and serves as a quality pipeline to meet local employers’ needs. I'm thankful for the opportunity this grant provides to continue efforts in Spartanburg County and expand our impact to Cherokee County."

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