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DEW outlines sector strategies, veteran and reentry programs, and pilot EvolveSC grants
Summary
Director Stanton described a push to align training with employer demand through regional sector strategies, cited partnerships for veterans and ex‑offender reentry programs with high placement rates, and highlighted EvolveSC and apprenticeship grants as employer‑linked training pilots.
At the joint committee review, Director Cheryl Stanton described DEW’s shift from transactional job matching to longer‑term workforce planning. Stanton said the agency and the State Workforce Development Board identified high‑growth sectors (diverse manufacturing, health care, IT, construction, logistics) and organized state and regional data teams to map supply and demand.
Stanton said sector strategies bring K‑12, technical colleges, the Commission on Higher Education and economic developers into regional planning. “What we did was we identified what our growth sectors are in this state,” she said, naming health care, IT and manufacturing and describing regional SWOT analyses used to target training resources.
Stanton described several employer‑linked initiatives. She said a Back to Work partnership with Transitions and the United Methodist Church runs a five‑week boot camp for homeless jobseekers with about a 75 percent placement rate for graduates. She also described a ‘Second Chance’ program with the Department of Corrections and a full‑time on‑site coordinator at a Manning work‑release program that she said has produced similar placement results.
The agency also launched EvolveSC, Stanton said: a grant program that required training providers, employers and local workforce boards to apply jointly; awarded projects link industry‑recognized credentials to employer interviews or hiring commitments. Stanton said the program drew more applicants than available funding and that DEW awaits outcome data.
Lawmakers and staff discussed challenges including employer screening of applicants with criminal records, the need to translate veterans’ military skills for civilian employers, and aligning K‑12 career and technical education with employer needs. Stanton invited committee staff and local leaders to stay involved as the state refines its assessment tools and regional strategies.
