Oconee Fall Line Technical College issued the following announcement on Sept. 7.
Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC) is one of several outside agencies working with the Washington County Jail’s Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program to help inmates with substance abuse problems.
The six-month program focuses on recovery, rehabilitation, re-education and re-entry.
“We are excited to offer this program here at the Washington County Jail,” shared Major Corey King, Jail Division Commander for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. “We are equally excited that our community partners like OFTC are willing to be a part of what we have to offer. OFTC has expanded their presence with us into not only Adult Education, but now some Economic Development aspects as well.”
OFTC’s participation includes offering participants an opportunity to earn their high school equivalency or strengthen basic skills through the college’s adult education program, and in providing opportunities to earn transferable credentials which could be used to obtain employment after the completion of the program through the college’s Industrial Workforce Fundamentals (IWF) course.
The college hopes participants will transition into one of their credit programs of study upon successful completion of the RSAT program and their release.
“This is what we do in adult education,” shared Demme McManus, OFTC’s Dean of Adult Education. “We give those who are willing another opportunity at an education; a chance to become a better, more prepared version of themselves.”
Participants will take adult education classes through OFTC at the Washington County Jail four nights a week to either earn their high school equivalency credential or increase reading and math skills to become more proficient and literate.
“With stronger basic literacy skills and a high school credential the participants will be more equipped to gain employment and are better prepared to re-enter society and the workforce,” which supports the RSAT program’s goal to give participants the needed tools to help them re-enter society and not re-offend, McManus shared.
Midway through the program, participants will begin OFTC’s IWF course offered through the Continuing Education division of the college’s Economic Development department which aims to provide industry recognized credentials to individuals who are unemployed or underemployed and are interested in industrial or manufacturing careers.
“The IWF course has a set curriculum that includes industry standard safety training like OSHA 10 General Industry, Forklift Safety, and Medic First Aid,” shared Kim David, OFTC’s Vice President for Economic Development. “It also includes training in computer skills and soft skills. This training can be tailored to meet particular needs of the participating group.”
“When the RSAT team requested we provide some transferable credentials that could be used by participants when they began their job search after the completion of the program, we felt like our IWF course met those needs,” David added.
RSAT participants will begin the IWF course sometime in October.
Currently there are ten men enrolled in the RSAT program which is scheduled to complete in January.
For more info on OFTC’s Adult Education programs or to learn more about the IWF course or the college’s Continuing Education division, visit the OFTC website at OFTC.edu.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Oconee Fall Line Technical College
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