LEARN-TO-EARN

The Scotland County Literacy Council is starting LEARN-TO-EARN, a new program designed to meet the dual literacy-employment needs of the community.

Nationally, many studies and statistics have linked joblessness to low-literacy skills and Scotland County is no exception. When the WestPoint Stevens plant closed last year, as many as half the people who lost their jobs lacked a high school diploma and GED. Many manufacturing jobs don’t require basic literacy skills, and as these kinds of jobs are scaled back by our global economy, a real need has emerged to handling both the employment and the education aspects of a layoff.

The Learn-to-Earn program is designed specifically to help people with low-literacy skills reenter the workforce. It will include counseling, tips on applying for jobs, assistance preparing for work-related tests like the WorkKeys Skills test, basic computer skills, and help managing finances.

However, Learn-to-Earn is not strictly for people reentering the workforce. It can also help people who are looking for a better-paying job, give practical solutions for reducing spending and managing time, teach people how to use computers, or help people get government assistance.

If you know anyone who is interested or if you’d like to volunteer with this program, feel free to give us a call at (910) 276-7007 or e-mail us at scotlandcntylit@bellsouth.net.