Job Seeker Programs

The "Back to Work" program targets individuals who have barriers to employment. This program is an intensive employment boot camp that provides guidance and soft skills to maintain gainful employment and self-sufficiency to establish lifelong independence.

This program is available across the state and is a partnership between community-based organizations and the local SC Works Center. To find out if the program is available in the Pee Dee Area, contact Gertrude Bellamy at gbellamy@dew.sc.gov. 

• Justice-involved individuals with a record of arrest, conviction, or imprisonment; anyone who has ever been on parole or probation or has any police records.
• Recovering addicts who have been rehabilitated through treatment for alcohol or drug abuse.
• Individuals with poor personal credit records or those who have declared bankruptcy.
• Individuals lacking a work history.
• Individuals dishonorably discharged from the military.
• Workers who need bonding in order to prevent being laid off or to secure a promotion.
• Anyone else who needs the bond in order to get a job.

Group Transition Services provided through the S.C. Vocational Rehabilitation Department are for youth with disabilities, ages 14-24, in or out of school. Services may include:

• Tours of colleges and technical schools.
• Employer or business site visits.
• Career fairs coordinated with employers.

For more information about Group Transition Services, visit the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department website here.

Individualized Transition Services are for youth eligible for SC Vocational Rehabilitation Department services who have an Individualized Plan for Employment (IEP). Services may include:

• Counseling and guidance
• Post-secondary, continuing and adult education
• Vocational and work-based training
• Supported employment

For more information about Individualized Transition Services, visit the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department website here.

• Leadership
• Resume writing
• Job interviewing skills
• Teamwork
• Communication skills
• Work attainment
• Financial literacy
• And many other skills needed to succeed in post-secondary education and the job market.

• Identifying a career path?
• Obtaining employment in a high growth job?
• Improving your skills to gain better pay?
• Earning a scholarship for short term training?
• Earning your high school diploma or GED?
• Gaining paid, work experience?

• Improve your financial opportunity
• Improve your knowledge to advance in a career
• Gain skills to become a better team member at work
• Learn from your mistakes and plan for your future

• Soft Skills Training
• GED & High School
• National Certifications
• Financial Incentives
• Work Experience
• Job Placement Assistance
• Follow-Up
• Apprenticeships
• Supportive Services

Pre-employment Transition Services are for students, ages 13-21, with a 504 or Individual Education Plan, and include the following individual or group activities:

• Job exploration counseling
• Work-based learning experiences
• Counseling on post-secondary education
• Workplace readiness training
• Instruction in self-advocacy

For more information about Pre employment Transition Services, visit the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department website here.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training Program assists SNAP recipients seeking employment-related training and job search assistance. To learn more about this program, visit the S.C. Department of Social Services website here.

If you are interested or need assistance applying for SNAP benefits, find more information here.

If you are interested or need assistance applying for TANF assistance, click here.

The Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work program is a free and voluntary service that is available to help people with disabilities connect with employment services that may help them gain financial independence.

You might be eligible for the Ticket to Work program if:

• You are age 18 through 64 and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
  
  and/or
     
• You receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) because of a disability.

Eligible participants of the Ticket to Work program may continue to receive Medicaid and/or Medicare benefits. Once employed and as self-reliance grows, the individual can begin to replace cash benefits with the earnings from work, putting individuals on the road to financial independence. Through this program, they are able to do this with the peace of mind that benefits will be quickly accessible again if needed due to their disability.

The Ticket to Work program offers:

• Skills and career assessments
• Jobseeker workshops
• Resume development
• Free computer access
• Career counseling
• Employment information
• Other programs and services

As an Employment Network (EN) of the Ticket to Work program, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce helps people with disabilities get access to the opportunities and services they need. If you have received a Ticket to Work voucher and are interested in seeking employment, contact your local SC Works Center, and we will help you with the rest.

Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work website
Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work for America's Veterans website
Ticket to Work Frequently Asked Questions

You can find more information about the Ticket program by calling the Ticket to Work/Employment Network line at 1-800-436-8190 or finding the closest SC Works Center.

Finding a meaningful civilian career may feel overwhelming. In the SC Works Pee Dee Centers there are staff, many of whom are veterans or service members themselves, who are specifically trained to assist military job seekers to find civilian employment.

Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) representatives provide intensive case management services to targeted veterans with an emphasis on meeting the employment needs of veterans who are economically or educationally disadvantaged.

Local Veterans’ Employment Representatives (LVER) conduct employer outreach to help veterans gain employment and provide individualized job development services. They market job-seeking veterans as individuals who have highly valuable skills and experience and serve as advocates for veterans with businesses, industries, and other community-based organizations.

Through the support and assistance from our LVERs and DVOPs, veterans are able to receive priority employment services, which include group and individual career coaching, job referrals, resume preparation, and job training programs and services.

What is WOTC?

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal financial incentive available to employers who hire individuals from certain target groups that have consistently faced significant barriers to employment.

WOTC helps targeted workers move from economic dependency into self-sufficiency as they earn a steady income and become contributing taxpayers, while participating employers are able to reduce their general tax liability.

What is a qualifying WOTC target group?

Employers can benefit from hiring individuals who may qualify through the following target groups:

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipient
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients
• Empowerment Zone residents
• Marlboro County Rural Renewal Community residents
• Vocational Rehabilitation or Ticket-to-Work Participants
• Recently released ex-felons
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients
• Disabled veterans who within the last year were discharged or unemployed for more than six months
• Unemployed veterans
• Veterans receiving SNAP
• Long-term unemployment recipient

How can you leverage WOTC like Bill?

Bill had been searching for a job, but not having any success due to his recent judicial involvement. Bill learned about the WOTC tax credit and began to let prospective employers know that he may be part of a qualified target group in the WOTC program. He leveraged the program to his advantage by making employers aware of his eligibility, and soon received an offer of employment. Bill completed the IRS Form 8850 and ETA Form 9061 for the new employer. The new employer submitted both forms to the SCDEW WOTC office within 28 days of Bill’s start date. The employer received a certification and was eligible to take a tax credit for $2,400. Afterwards, the employer hired 10 more qualified applicants and was certified to take an additional $24,000 in WOTC tax credits. The employer is now in a financial position to hire more workers because the WOTC tax credit program increased his return on investment.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need. 

WIOA is a federal program administered in the Pee Dee Local Workforce Area by professional Career Coaches with Eckerd Connects. These coaches are accessible through the SC Works Pee Dee Centers. 

The Pee Dee Workforce Development Board guides policy for all WIOA-funded programs. WIOA programs help businesses meet their needs for skilled workers and provide individuals with access to training that helps them prepare for work. WIOA Title I consists of the Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth funding streams.

WIOA services may include:

• Financial Assistance for tuition, books, and other support services depending on local area policy, eligibility, and need.
• Case Management may include guidance and counseling, career exploration to identify careers that are growing and paying well, and finding appropriate training providers to identify the quality and value of education for the following areas:
• Financial Literacy.
• Basic Skills Remediation.
• Work Ready Assessment.
• Work Experiences.
• Training.
• Supportive Services.
• Training and Supportive Services may include:
• Occupational Skills Training.
• On-the-Job Training.
• Incumbent Worker Training.
• Skills Upgrading.
• Entrepreneurial Skills Training.
• Other Training.

The SC Rapid Reemployment Team responds to downsizing and closures that impact South Carolina workers, enabling those affected to return to work as quickly as possible. 

Our Rapid Reemployment team provides employees early intervention to help them make informed decisions concerning their future and provides information and reemployment services prior to layoff, including training and income support, if eligible.

Below you can find resources that can be helpful.

• Your Next Step Forward Brochure
• To file for Unemployment Insurance benefits, click here.

Additionally, if you need hands-on assistance, visit your local SC Works center to work one-on-one with SC Works staff.