BELTON, S.C. — A free workforce development opportunity coming to Belton could help Upstate residents gain new skills, strengthen their resumes and potentially open doors to new careers and greater earning opportunities.
Welfare Baptist Church, in partnership with the Urban League of the Upstate and Generation4, will host an interest meeting for Verizon Skill Forward on Tuesday, September 22 at 6 p.m. at Welfare Baptist Church in Belton.
The free online learning program gives participants access to more than 400 certificate programs covering fields including artificial intelligence and technology, cybersecurity and programming, data analytics and data science, business and entrepreneurship, leadership and management, marketing and communications, project management and finance.
For Dr. Ankoma Anderson, pastor of Welfare Baptist Church, bringing the opportunity to the community is about more than adding another line to a resume. It is about economic empowerment.
“At Welfare, one of our tenets is economic empowerment. Workforce development fits into that whole notion of economic empowerment,” Anderson said.
Hundreds of Courses, One Opportunity
Verizon Skill Forward is designed to give participants flexibility. Courses are completed online and at the learner’s own pace, with some courses taking as little as one week to complete.
Participants can also earn certificates from well-known universities and organizations.
“This will provide an opportunity for individuals to not only gain access to knowledge that may help them in their careers, but certificate programs they can actually put on their resumes from the most notable universities across the country,” Anderson said.
According to Anderson, offerings range from learning Mandarin Chinese to developing AI chatbots, giving participants the ability to choose courses that complement their current careers or help them explore something entirely new.
Making Sure Upstate Residents Aren’t Left Behind
For Anderson, bringing the program to Belton is particularly important as the Upstate continues to grow.
New residents and businesses are changing the region, but he wants to make sure people who have long called the area home are equipped to compete for the opportunities that come with that growth.
“Individuals are leaving northern cities. People in our area are being left out because they don’t have the skills,” Anderson said.
That makes access to workforce development particularly important in smaller and rural communities.
The program is open to individuals ages 17 and older, and a college degree isn’t required.
Anderson said the opportunity can benefit someone looking for a new career, an employee hoping to advance, an entrepreneur developing a business or even someone simply interested in learning new skills.
“It’s beneficial to individuals who have formal training and also those who don’t,” Anderson said.
For those currently in the workforce, however, the potential financial impact could be especially significant.
From a Certificate to a Career
Anderson doesn’t want success to be measured simply by how many people sign up.
“We want people to not just start the program. We want them to finish it,” he said.
The bigger goal is seeing participants turn what they learn into something tangible — a new job, a promotion, new responsibilities or even a business of their own.
For a community seeking greater access to the opportunities created by the Upstate’s growth, a free certificate could be a small first step toward something much bigger.
For more information visit www.welfarebc.net
Verizon Skills Forward Interest Meeting
Tuesday, September 22 | 6 p.m.
Welfare Baptist Church
2176 Bolt Drive, Belton, SC
Open to ages 17+ | Free
