 |
NEWS AND EVENTS Becky Mann,
Director of Public Relations
864.250.8305
------------------------
Get to know Greenville Tech
Greenville Tech Facts
------------------------
Campus Locations
January 29, 2008
Hand nominated for Innovator of the Year award
Steve Hand of Greer, director of the Quick Jobs with a Future program at Greenville Tech, is the college’s nominee for the 2008 A. Wade Martin “Innovator of the Year” award.
Martin, the first executive director of the technical and industrial training program in South Carolina, believed that the key to economic growth was a trained labor force capable of attracting industry and creating jobs.
Hand was selected for the award named in Martin’s honor because his work at Greenville Tech has been directed at helping people qualify for good jobs through retraining. In 2001, there were over 13,000 workers laid off by 64 Upstate companies. Over a third did not have a high school diploma or GED. In response to this need, Hand spearheaded development of the Quick Jobs program. This program was designed to train workers for new occupations in 90 days or less. To date, over 13,200 people have received the training needed for a new start. The program, which started with 10 courses, now offers over 65 courses in careers identified with help from local advisory committees, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, and direct business contacts.
Hand has also spearheaded a program aimed at helping parolees transition into productive life outside prison. The S.P.I.C.E. (Self Paced In-Class Education) program is a faith-based inmate education and employment initiative resulting from a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the South Carolina Department of Probation, Pardon and Parole, the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Greenville Tech, Piedmont Tech, and Trident Tech.
Since its launch, the S.P.I.C.E. program has helped over 220 ex-inmates. Through Hand’s guidance and coordination with partners, 75 percent of the program participants have completed training and 70 percent have not returned to prison.
The winner of the A. Wade Martin Innovator of the Year award will be announced during the annual conference of the South Carolina Technical Education Association to be held February 21-22 in Myrtle Beach.
|
