7/19/07
REWARD seeks job applicants who want to get ahead; set to begin Sept. 10
By Eric Goold

ERIC GOOLD/Manning Times

With Clarendon County Human Resources Director Linda Lemon in the background, REWARD program partners, Judge Bobbie Reaves, F.E. DuBose Adult Education Director Julie Griffith and Clarendon County Economic Development Director John Truluck discuss the job assistance program set to launch on Sept. 10.

Looking for a job?

Want a better job?

Ready to move ahead?

If you answer yes to any of those questions, then the REWARD program is looking for you.

REWARD stands for Rural Economic Workforce Alliance for Resource Development. It is comprised of a variety of businesses and agencies that are teaming together to offer classes, free of charge, to job applicants who are looking to get ahead.

New growth in Clarendon County means that new jobs will become available in a variety of sectors. New businesses and industries will be looking for qualified workers to fill the jobs they’ll be offering, and the REWARD program can help you become qualified for them.

“It’s a common misconception that there are no jobs available in Clarendon County,” said John Truluck, Executive Director of the Clarendon County Development Board and one of the organizers of the REWARD program.

There are and will be a number of jobs available in Clarendon County. What is lacking in the county is a qualified workforce ready to take those jobs.

“A lot of people want jobs, but are not ready for those jobs due to a number of reasons,” said Truluck. “Those people end up falling through the cracks, and we’re trying to catch them.”

At a meeting of REWARD organizers and participants last Friday at the F.E. Dubose Career Center, the timetable was set and classes were listed for the first session of the REWARD curriculum, which is slated to begin Monday, Sept. 10 and will run through Thursday, Nov. 1.

Applications are now being accepted for the session.

Who should apply? The unemployed, even if you don’t have a high school diploma. The underemployed, or those who have a job and are looking to get a better one, are also prime candidates for the program.

If you’ve been turned away from a job because you lack basic computer skills, the REWARD program can teach you those skills. Also available in Session I will be classes teaching resume skills, how to apply for jobs online, mock interviewing, financial management, time management, basic math and many other courses.

Again, all classes are free.

Once you apply, your skills will be assessed and you will be assigned classes. All classes in Session I will be held at F.E. DuBose.

How do you apply? Applications are available at F.E. DuBose, where you can fill one out and turn it in on the spot. The participating agencies and businesses should also have copies of the application on hand that you can fill out.

Some but not all of the participating agencies and businesses include the Community Development Board, Adult Education, Drug Court, Paxville Community Development Center, Santee Wateree RTA, Wateree Community Actions Inc., Clarendon School District Two, the Federal Mogul plant in Summerton and the South Carolina Employment Security Commission.

Anyone interested in a better job and a brighter future is encouraged to apply. Give yourself a REWARD. For additional information or to apply, contact Julie Griffith, director of adult education at F.E. DuBose, 473-2531.