On Tuesday, December 12th, Step Up Savannah’s Chatham Apprentice Program held a graduation ceremony for the 15 participants of the E3 program held at Moses Jackson Advancement Center. Mayor Pro-Tem Carol Bell was the keynote speaker for the ceremony, sharing words of encouragement and reiterating the importance of the City of Savannah’s support of Step Up Savannah. In addition to completing the program, 8 participants received their forklift safety certification training and 5 received their TWIC card.

The E3 program, which stands for “Educate, Empower, Employ,” partners with employers, government leaders, and social services providers to provide a holistic approach to employability training. The session consists of an intensive four-week training that includes individual and facilitated group work covering topics such as effective communication, interview skills, conflict resolution, and professionalism. All participants receive one-on-one coaching that will work with both the employee and the employer to ensure long-term success after employment. In this intense four-week training program, adults develop skills to compete in the job market, secure employment, and learn to become more self-sufficient. In addition, CAP provides access to hard skills training as well as incentives for qualifying participants. The current average hourly rate of pay for CAP graduates is $12.61.

On Friday, December 15th at 9am, the Chatham County Commissioners will recognize all 2017 CAP graduates at the Commission Chambers (2nd floor, Old County Courthouse, 124 Bull Street.) Step Up’s incoming board chair, David Sneed, as well as CAP graduates, Blair Singleton, Nicole Jones, and Tawane Perry have been invited to speak. This event is open to the public.

CAP and Step Up Savannah are funded by Chatham County, United Way, City of Savannah, Georgia Power, SunTrust Foundation, and SEDA, among other companies and foundations.