People with disabilities can work, want to work, and should be afforded every opportunity to work. Powered by Able SC and the South Carolina Disability Employment Coalition (SCDEC), a coalition formed to eliminate employment barriers for individuals with disabilities, Hire Me SC is a campaign that promotes a culture of inclusion across the state of South Carolina, one in which employment for every individual, disability or not, is the norm rather than the exception.
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Employability Credential
During our quarterly meeting on June 2, Kim Watkins, with the SC Department of Education, reviewed the Employability Credential, also known as the South Carolina High School Credential. It was first implemented in the fall of 2018.
There are four requirements to earn the credential. These include the completion of 24 units of coursework, 360 hours of Work-Based Learning, a career portfolio with a multi-media presentation, and a work readiness assessment demonstrating that the student is ready for competitive employment. You can view a copy of the Work-Based Learning Guide here.
A barrier has been identifying work-based learning and training opportunities for students. The COVID-19 pandemic has played a role in this, but as a solution, a Career and Technical Education (CTE) task force was created and is being overseen by Chris Napier. Kim also shared that before this year, students that participated in the Employability Credential course of study were not considered career-ready, but that has changed this year and was a barrier that the Department of Education overcame. Students in the Employability Credential are doing just as much work as CTE students, which is now being recognized.
Check out the PowerPoint Presentation
Check out the SC High School Credential Website
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Legislative Updates:
Subminimum Wage is ending in South Carolina!
S. 533 was signed into law on May 23! With this new law, South Carolina is the 14th state in the nation and the 3rd state in the southeast to end subminimum wage. A task force will be developed to phase out the use of subminimum wage by August 2024. Different state agencies and key stakeholders will be included in the task force.
H. 3244, the Employment First Initiative Act, was added to S. 533 as an amendment. This portion of the bill encourages state and local governments to create competitive employment opportunities for people with disabilities and to have integrated environments.
We thank our SC lawmakers for supporting the rights of the 1,216,011 people in SC with disabilities!
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Hire Me SC Resources
The Hire Me SC Website is a great place to visit for resources related to employment for people with disabilities in South Carolina. We have resource pages geared towards different groups of people, including:
- People with disabilities: Learn about your rights, available services, and more.
- Educators: Learn about your responsibilities, higher education, partner agencies, and more.
- Service providers: Learn about responsibilities, training, and Employment First.
- Families: Learn about family member roles, Supported Decision Making, and more.
- Employers: Learn about accessibility, getting started with hiring people with disabilities, and more.
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7th Annual Employer Summit
Save the date for the Employer Summit! The Employer Summit is a one-day conference for business managers, executives, and HR professionals ready to hire and retain a workforce inclusive of people with disabilities. This event will show businesses how including individuals with disabilities will strengthen their workforce. This year's Keynote Speaker is Jim Sinocchi, Managing Director and Head of Disability Inclusion at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
When: October 19, 2022, 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Where: The 2022 Employer Summit will be a hybrid event. Attendees will have access to the same content whether they choose to attend in-person or virtual! The in-person event will take place at Phillips Market Center in West Columbia.
Cost: $75 for both in-person and online attendees. Discounts are available for businesses that register five or more!
*This event is for employers only*
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