Economic stimulus money is making its way into Sampson County to help retrain displaced workers, sending them back out into the workforce armed and qualified for one of six careers. All in six months and at no cost to qualified individuals.

The funding comes in the form of a $100,000 grant awarded last week to Sampson Community College which will, in turn, team with the local Employment Security Commission’s JobLink service to recruit eligible individuals for the program.

Classes begin Aug. 17 and qualifying is currently under way at the local ESC office, where individuals interested in the program must first go for eligibility determination.

The program, called the JobsNOW “12 in 6 project,” is being funded under the Workforce Investment Act through money made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“Since one of the primary aims of the community college is to prepare people for the workforce, we are pleased to participate in the JobsNOW program,” said Dr. William Aiken, SCC president.

College staff, he said, had identified areas which they believe will provide participants with immediate job skills in the Sampson County area. Training pathways being offered at SCC include masonry, a new program for the local community college; carpentry; industrial maintenance; truck driving; nursing assistant; and medical billing/coding.

Training, Aiken said, will be conducted over a six-month period, and when a person has successfully completed the “12 in 6” program they will receive both JobsNow and Career Readiness certificates, documents that will alert prospective employers that the individual is qualified for the jobs they are seeking.

“It says you are trained and ready for these jobs,” Aiken said of the certificates, adding that the program is an avenue that will help individuals obtain employment.

While it doesn’t guarantee anyone a job, he said, it arms them with the needed qualifications to help them be competitive.

“The purpose of this program, and the reason we received grant funding, is to provide people who’ve lost their jobs, displaced workers, with an opportunity to learn new skills that can help them in the workforce,” said SCC grant writer Gloria Edwards.

“We were thrilled to receive the grant money and believe it will be a great benefit to those who have found themselves without a job and in need of training in other areas,” she added.

Aiken said with the money SCC has been awarded, college officials were hoping to reach 67 students. Funds, he said, will be used to offset the cost of instructors, supplies and books for the “12 in 6” project.

“Our interest is to give people skills in a short period of time allowing them to re-enter the workforce,” Aiken said. “We believe the programs we are offering fit the needs of both students and employers in the area.”

And, he added, the JobsNOW program will allow the college to partner with other agencies such as the Job Link and the Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Board, whose aims are to help individuals enter the world of work.

“It’s a collaborative effort that can have a definite impact in our community and among our citizens,” Aiken said.

Those interested in participating in the JobsNOW program should contact Job Links at 592-5756. Once eligibility is established, SCC officials will be contacted and the enrollment process will begin.