Stephen Marshall, Business Services Coordinator and Kim Mann from Business Services unit at South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department (SCVRD) discuss how SCVRD works with their statewide technical college system to design training programs that meet the needs of VR consumers and businesses.
Read more about the practices and challenges that other states shared in this Community of Practice: “Vocational Rehabilitation and Community College Customized Training Partnerships: Practices and Challenges”.
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Overview: South Carolina VR and their Technical College System
South Carolina VR works with 16 technical colleges in their technical college system on the state and local levels to offer apprenticeship programs, customized training programs, and certificate training programs that meet the needs of job seekers with disabilities and businesses across the state.
In the past year, the SCVRD and technical college partnership has expanded and become more comprehensive than in previous years. SCVRD discusses how their partnership was initiated.
Strategies to Engage Business through SCVRD’s Partnership with the Technical College
SCVRD has a sector strategy initiative at the state level. Business Development Specialists meet on sector strategy committees with technical colleges and business partners. Throughout the state, VR and the technical college system have worked to develop customized training programs for business around construction, hospitality, call centers, and food manufacturing.
Maintaining Relationships: The Future of the SCVRD-Technical College Partnership
SCVRD identifies and designs trainings for job seekers that meet business needs. VR evaluates the trainings to ensure that trainings lead to job outcomes for VR clients. SCVRD is focused on aligning vocational assessments, trainings, and business needs across the state.