— submitted by Shea Fitzgerald, Director of Development and Community Outreach, www.triangleliteracy.org

TRIANGLE LITERACY COUNCIL AND KERR-TAR REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO START CONSTRUCTION PATHWAY FOR AREA YOUNG ADULTS

DURHAM, N.C. (March 6, 2018) – Today the Triangle Literacy Council (TLC) and the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments’ Workforce Development Board announced the launch of a Regional Construction and Skills Trades Career Pathway for young adults, ages 16 to 24, in Henderson, NC. The 24 week-long program, called Constructing Pathways to Prosperity, will offer three integrated components to area young adults: high school equivalency preparation, occupational training, and construction work-based learning.

Constructing Pathways to Prosperity aims to build a productive future for young men and women who have dropped out of school or have other barriers to employment. The program will blend academic and occupational course content along with leadership and life skills training, as well as follow-up support to young adults in Henderson. Participants are able to earn up to $50 a week for program attendance and wages for the work-based learning portion of training. Upon completion of the program, participants will have earned a nationally-recognized construction certificate, along with OSHA Certification and work experience, and be given the opportunity to find gainful employment, significantly improving their futures.

“We are pleased to collaborate with the Triangle Literacy Council on this project which strives to reconnect youth to education and work and to help them make a successful transition into a lifelong career,” said Diane Cox, Executive Director of the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.

TLC currently operates a similar YouthBuild program in Durham, NC, providing job training and educational opportunities for at-risk young adults in the inner-city. TLC and the Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board are excited to provide this service model for the rural region which will inject positive energy into the lives of a sensitive group of young adults and Henderson’s affordable housing market.

“We are so excited to take the next step in our Triangle expansion through partnering with the Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board for the Constructing Pathways to Prosperity initiative,” said Laura Walters, President and CEO of the Triangle Literacy Council. “Our program will work closely with the Vance County community to provide young adults with new educational and workforce development opportunities to increase their quality of life and help them better provide for themselves and their families.”

With a grant of $247,000, Triangle Literacy Council’s Constructing Pathways to Prosperity will serve two cohorts in 2018/19 and begin recruiting students in March.

About the Triangle Literacy Council
Since 1970, the Triangle Literacy Council (TLC) has been teaching adults, youth and families how to read, write, speak better and improve their lives through the use of volunteer, one-on-one tutoring and group classes. All services are provided free of charge to participants. All programs use best practices with evidence-based outcomes and have a high rate of success. The Triangle Literacy Council is the oldest literacy organization in North Carolina.

About the Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board
The Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board provides direction and assurance for strategic initiatives in a five-county regional effort, representing Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren Counties. The Board is business driven to meet current and future employment needs, those needs of local businesses, and those individuals seeking careers and career enhancements. The overarching goal of the workforce development system is to build a well-trained, ready workforce and attract high-skilled, high wage jobs through collaborative leadership from experts throughout our communities’ business, education, government, and non-profit organizations. The Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board works in partnership with these organizations to ensure the performance, accountability, and achievement of regional workforce goals are met.

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