DATE: 5/02/06

CONTACT: Mary Gaston, Pickens County Adult Education Program, (864) 855-8198

WRITER: Pamela Bryant, (803) 553-7705; pbryant@clemson.edu

Clemson construction program helps young adults earn GED and build job skills

PICKENS -- Hammers, saws and screwdrivers aren’t the usual tools used to complete a high school education. But young adults participating in Clemson University’s YouthBuild Upstate program will not only use these tools to earn their GED, they will also build valuable construction and life skills that will enable them to obtain jobs.

YouthBuild Upstate is one of 225 YouthBuild initiatives across the nation. The full-time, 10 month construction training and education program is funded by HUD, with matching funds provided by local partners. With high school dropouts as a primary target, YouthBuild helps disadvantaged young adults complete their high school education and provides construction skills training leading to economic self sufficiency.

The Department of Construction Science and Management at Clemson University, Clemson’s Youth Learning Institute (YLI), South Carolina Regional Housing Authority No. 1 and the Pickens Adult Education Program, are the lead partners for implementing YouthBuild Upstate.

Upon acceptance to the program, participants are required to attend Adult Education classes to complete their GED, as well as leadership, life skills training and construction skills training classes. YLI’s Headquarters and Education Center, located in Pickens, will host all classroom and lab training, with opportunities for on-the-job training at sites throughout the Upstate owned by the S.C. Regional Housing Authority.

YouthBuild Upstate participants can earn incentive payments for attendance and for achieving educational milestones throughout the program. Trainees are paid for construction work, with the possibility of bonuses for attendance and raises for good performance.

Recruitment for YouthBuild participants is underway, with applications due by June 12. Interested applicants must be US citizens and Upstate residents between the ages of 17-24, who are seeking to earn a GED. Participants must be committed to full-time participation in the program, available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. For more information about eligibility or to apply, call the Pickens Adult Education Program office at (864) 855-8198.

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