WSSU Career Services secures $1.1 million Job Corps grant
Winston-Salem State University Job Corps Scholars Program (WSSU-JCSP) has secured a U.S Department of Labor Job Corps Scholars grant for $1,186,900. The grant will allow the university to enroll 40 students per year in an intensive two-year career preparation program.
In the first year, students will receive a certification in career readiness, non-profit leadership, or computer programming. The quick immersion allows students to acquire valuable skills they can use throughout their college years and into their job searches.
This program's extensive services will require additional staff to ensure students have the direct support they need to be successful. Grant funds will support four full-time positions in Career Development Services. The department will add two career counselors and two employment counselors that will be responsible for assisting students with personal and professional development.
The Job Corp Scholars Program will target five counties with census-designated opportunity zones, and they include: Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Guilford, and Wake. These counties rank some of the lowest in North Carolina for per capita income, each ranking well below the state average. They are also among the weakest areas for upward economic mobility.
The WSSU-JCSP will serve a total of 80 students over a 39-month period. Program leaders are anticipating a 95 percent employment rate for scholars post-program.
A primary goal will be to teach students how to develop their personal brand, and use that knowledge to prepare themselves to meet their career objectives.
"We are extremely excited about the award and this opportunity to impact students significantly. We will leverage our community partners to provide high impact experiences for our students," said LaMonica Sloan Wilhelmi, executive director of Career Education and Professionals Partnerships. "COVID-19 will certainly impact how we provide services, but we're actively pursuing short-term remote learning opportunities so that students can immediately begin the program."
Career Development Services will work with the university's enrollment management team to identify students that meet the qualifying criteria for the program. The program will accept its first students fall 2020.
For more information about the student career development process at WSSU, please visit the Career Development Services Webpage.
About Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University fosters the creative thinking, analytical problem-solving, and depth of character needed to transform the world. Rooted in liberal education, WSSU’s curriculum prepares students to be thought leaders who have the skills and knowledge needed to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. Founded in 1892, WSSU is a historically Black constituent institution of the University of North Carolina with a rich tradition of contributing to the social, cultural, intellectual, and economic growth of North Carolina, the region and beyond. Guided by the by the motto, “Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” WSSU develops leaders who advance social justice by serving the world with compassion and commitment.
