Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Gov. Nikki Haley announced Thursday a new program to help unemployed workers find a job.
The program is the ACT Certified Work Ready Communities Academy. ACT Selected South Carolina to be 1 of 4 states to participate in the academy.
"Employers need to have confidence that the people they hire actually have the skills and by having a certification process of the skills it gives the employers confidence that they are making a great decision on the person," said President of ACT Workforce Development Martin Scaglione.
In December the states unemployment rate as 9.5% and Governor Haley says she plans to continue to lower that number.
"This has created an entire opportunity for every person in South Carolina to create a better life for them and their family," said Haley.
The program is a year-long initiative. It is a partnership with state agencies and the business community working with ACT to improve job readiness programs.
"South Carolina has just moved forward in a big way, we are going to see it not only in the skills that people are going to be able to get we are going to see it in the jobs that we fill, we are going to see it in the companies that come."
Haley says the academy will give county level partners access to ACT's data, to help future target efforts where they can have the most impact.
If you receive unemployment benefits you are still eligible to receive them if you are in the academy.