Skill Up platform aims to connect underemployed to pathways

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When Upstate unemployment numbers bottomed out at 2.7% during April 2019 and industries struggled to recruit enough workers to keep up with the demand, Upstate SC Alliance launched Move Upstate SC, an online nexus for professional workers seeking to launch a new life in the area.

Then COVID-19 hit.

April 2020 saw local unemployment numbers spike to 13.1%, according to Aimee Redick, director of global engagement of Upstate SC Alliance, especially due to losses in the hospitality and retail sectors. Unemployment rates may be back down to 4% to 5% but the struggle for both the unemployed and employers to find work and workers continues.

“This allowed us to take a look at the Upstate; it allowed us to take a look at the industries and jobs that were most vulnerable to uncertain times. Many of those in hospitality — the hotel, restaurants — and retail became unemployed,” she said at a virtual meeting today. “So, we saw an opportunity to look to that audience as we began working on a new initiative during the early spring, and we’re happy to launch that today.”

Upstate SC Alliance’s newest brainchild, Skill Up, will not replace Move Upstate SC, but instead offers labor development solutions for a local workforce through partnerships with Tri-County Technical College, Piedmont Technical College, Spartanburg Community College and Greenville Technical College.

The site directs unemployed and underemployed workers toward new educational opportunities in hot industries with strong staying power, said John Lummus, CEO and president of Upstate SC Alliance. The site also gives an overview of these careers, their projected growth and earning potential, as well as financial aid opportunities for prospective students.

“The courses that we’re targeting are the short-term training courses, anywhere from two to 12 months in length,” he said. “And we’re focusing on in-demand positions.”

These include careers in manufacturing, health care, information technology and logistics — with a myriad of programs for 15 positions from a welder to an emergency medical technician to a software developer.  Upstate SC Alliance tailored the program to feature occupations that have been featured on 46,899 job postings over the past 12 months with an average earning potential of $72,037, according to a news release.

According to Upstate SC Alliance data, health care careers are expected to grow by more than 15% in the Upstate over five years, followed by transportation at 8.4%, IT at 7.5%, skilled trades at 7.2% and manufacturing careers at 5.7%. Career training programs are searchable by zip code, Redick said.

Lummus said that what surprised him most during the program launch was just how well some of these positions paid off even after a few months of training — some garnering six-figure salaries in the cyber security and computer service field. Such programs may be especially appealing to the 68% of adults enrolling in education programs who prefer a non-degree program.

“You can go to a training program for six months and … move up into a salary of over a hundred thousand,” he said.

More than 2 million jobs in the United States are currently unfillable because there aren’t enough people who meet the requirements, he said.

“I think it’s the lack of knowledge about the jobs and a lack of knowledge on the training opportunities that are out there that are available,” he said. “But with the pandemic coming in, it really gave an opportunity … to start looking for something different because the sector they were in may have been affected.”

In the meantime, Upstate SC Alliance is seeking out businesses who may be interested in getting behind the program, as well as Move Upstate SC though sponsorships and advertising, both on billboards and online, under the purview of Tiffany Tate, Global Cities program coordinator at the alliance.

“Skill Up recognizes that the pandemic’s challenges may present an opportunity for some individuals to pursue new avenues,” Lummus said in the release. “From hands-on manufacturing roles to network configuration to patient support, these careers have staying power and play an important role in our community.”