"I know when I entered the workforce, there was the catch-22 of you need the experience to get a job but you need to get a job to get the experience, so this is a way to help people navigate that challenge," Clarendon County Library Director Holly Cockfield tells WYFF.
That's why the library is now offering a 12-week workforce program for 17- to 24-year-olds in the county, which has the state's highest unemployment rate at 4.8%, per the State.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Youth Program helps those in that age group who haven't had a lot of work experience or who've been out of the workplace for a while get back into the workforce by focusing on skills and experience.
"It's facing a lot of the challenges that many rural communities in South Carolina are facing," an assistant director for labor market information for the state Department of Employment and Workforce tells WYFF.
"The most recent unemployment rate is 4.8%, which isn't bad but it's substantially above the state level of 3.2%, so it suggests there are some challenges there, particularly lack of job opportunity for young adults."
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