Partnership Gives SC Vocational Rehabilitation a Consistent Presence on Greenwood Campus

In its ongoing mission to optimize access to education in its seven-county service area, Piedmont Technical College has forged a partnership with the SC Vocational Rehabilitation Department (VR) that provides access on the Lex Walters Campus-Greenwood to provide on-site counseling, eligibility determination and consultation for individuals living with impairments ranging from minor hearing loss to debilitating brain injury. Many of these impairments are not immediately visible, such as ADHD, diabetes and emotional disorders.

“We are delighted to have VR on campus three days a week. This partnership expands efforts already underway to make available resources more conveniently accessible to our students,” said Josh Black, vice president for student affairs and communications at PTC.

VR staff will provide pre-employment services from in the Greenwood Campus B Building, Room 142, adjacent to the Enrollment Center interior entrance. Office hours are:

Mondays and Tuesdays                      9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Wednesdays                                            1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Through counseling, career guidance, vocational assessment and other pre-employment services, VR helps consumers identify their most marketable abilities and develop additional skills that can lead to career opportunities.

“Many people who experience physical or emotional barriers to employment truly want to increase their level of education so that they can work and to contribute to their communities,” VR Area Supervisor Houston C. Matthews said. “In collaboration with community partners, institutions of higher learning and non-profit organizations, we develop customized strategies to assist our consumers in becoming qualified, job-ready workforce candidates.”

This partnership with VR is the first commitment the college is making toward establishing the new Community Connection at PTC. The program aims to bring helpful service organizations to campus on a regular basis, making them more readily accessible to its diverse student body.