18 graduate from Shift to Success

Young men and women, either recent graduates or rising seniors at three area high schools, took a step toward a successful future Thursday when they graduated from a pilot program called Shift to Success.

The intensive three-week “boot camp” style curriculum took them through a job preparation course, explained Charles Jones Jr., who spearheaded the program held at the Demopolis Higher Education Center.

The 18 students earned the Ready to Work Certificate, Manufacturers Standards Skills Certificate and the OSHA-10 competency, making them highly employable in today’s industrial fields.

The courses covered financial literacy, workplace behavior, job preparation, technology, communication skills and safety, among other topics, said Jones.

Students from Demopolis High, Greensboro High and A.L. Johnson High Schools took classes from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a 30-minute break for lunch. Jones taught the OSHA-10 section of the curriculum while Connie Davis from DHS covered Ready to Work and Lovell Briggins with the Hale County Technology Center handled the MSSC.

As an incentive to take part, the students were paid $9 an hour for attending. Those that needed it also were given help with child care and transportation, Jones continued. Lunch was provided to all the students.

Funding for Shift to Success came through a grant from the Southern Education Foundation out of Atlanta. President and CEO of the foundation, Raymond Pierce, was on hand at the graduation to present the certificates to the young adults.

Demopolis and Huntsville were chosen to host the program even though several states vied for it. In Demopolis, Shift to Success was sponsored by Wallace Community College out of Selma, and in Huntsville, Drake Community College.

Jones said West Alabama Works is lining up possible employment for the graduates. The employers will be reimbursed the students’ salaries for the first six months. He said jobs locally will be filled first.