Bamberg Job Corps Center cuts ribbon to celebrate SC Works partnership

“Bamberg Job Corps Center (BJCC) has achieved a milestone by partnering with SC Works as a designated Connection Point within the city of Bamberg,” Bamberg Job Corps Business Engagement Specialist Joy Haynes said. “As a Connection Point, BJCC will provide dedicated resources for job searching, career advancement and unemployment insurance filing, benefiting both students and the local community.”

Haynes said the partnership with SC Works will enhance the resources available to the Bamberg community, offering significant support for career development and employment opportunities.

The facility will offer free public access to computers, claims assistance, training and educational resources.

Connection Point is located within the Vernessa D. Williams Gymnasium at 19 Job Corps Ave. in Bamberg.

The center will be open to the community on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The SC Works partnership with Bamberg Job Corps is part of a general push of SC Works to establish a pipeline for individuals to access job opportunities by growing the number of Connection Points, Access Points and American Job Center satellite sites in local communities.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was touted by Job Corps as one of its commitments to further the technical training and career opportunities for young adults locally and statewide.

Community partners, local elected officials and work-based learning partners were in attendance, along with several partners from historically Black colleges and universities.

The Job Corps center serves about 200 students. The program offers free education and job training for young people ages 16 to 24.

Students live at the center and are trained in a number of areas, including cement masonry, computer technician, culinary arts, facilities maintenance, material handling and distribution operations, plumbing and welding.

While Bamberg Job Corps is the first career-training program in the Lower Savannah Region named as a Connection Point, there are other local Connection Points: the Bamberg County Library, the Orangeburg County Library, the Denmark Library, the Santee Library, the Calhoun County Library, the Holly Hill Library, the North Library and the Mentor Branch Library in Elloree, according to the SC Works website.