College awarded a $3.965 Million Department of Labor “Pathway Home” grant

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has been awarded a $3,965,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The “Pathway Home” grant will assist individuals now or once involved in the criminal justice system to secure employment in their communities by assisting access to education, career training and apprenticeships.

The grant will support expanded services to eligible, incarcerated individuals in state correctional facilities or local jails prior- and post-release to help eliminate the gap between release and enrollment into a reentry training program leading to employment.

“Our goal is to prepare returning citizens with career training to earn a family-sustaining wage through technical education that leads to industry-recognized credentials in welding, logistics and manufacturing,” said STC President Dr. Kathy S. Love. “In many cases, people leave jails and prisons without the skills needed for a high demand career. This grant was written to create a new pipeline of skilled talent for our industry partners and to create hope for our returning citizens. It also recognizes the years of partnership building and work done at the college on behalf of our returning citizens.”

The College will serve a total of 250 returning citizens per year exiting Coastal State Prison and Chatham County Detention Center. STC’s Economic Development division will oversee the grant and will offer a two-week program to help participants get acclimated to the educational arena and assess their readiness for employment through pre/post assessments.

The Coastal Workforce Development Board has identified manufacturing and logistics as two of the in-demand industries for the region. Participants will begin fast-track training for logistics, warehousing or welding to earn recognized credentials within the last six months of their sentence. A combination of virtual reality and hands-on training will be included. Job placement and financial literacy education will be included along with continued follow-up for one year after training.

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#2145 | June 29, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512

A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, Savannah Technical College (Savannah Tech) is the premier provider of career-ready technical education in Coastal Georgia, offering a comprehensive range of nearly 150 market-driven programs, preparing students for high-demand careers including Aviation Technology, Cybersecurity, Health Sciences, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Automation & Robotics, Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Public Services and more. With campuses in Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty Counties, Savannah Tech serves more than 13,000 credit and non-credit students with a variety of pathways to success, including dual enrollment programs for high school students and specialized support services for military veterans and their families. Beyond academics, Savannah Tech is an economic and community development partner, collaborating with industry leaders to provide customized training programs, assessment services, and continuing education opportunities. For more information, visit www.savannahtech.edu.

Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Savannah Technical College complies with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The TCSG State Board prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status (“protected status”). No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under, any TCSG program or activity because of the individual’s protected status; nor shall any individual be given preferential treatment because of the individual’s protected status, except the preferential treatment may be given on the basis of veteran status when appropriate under federal or state law.