by Kristen Karig, Public Relations

“It’s not just job training, it’s life training.” That’s how many participants describe Innovative Alternatives for Women, a new program to prepare women in Charleston’s Enterprise Community for careers in the work force.

Not only does the 12-week course teach computer skills, typing and resume preparation, it also incorporates health information, parenting education, legal assistance, financial management, and business and social etiquette—all of the skills women need to compete in the job market and improve their lives.

On Saturday, March 7, the first 12 women to complete the program were recognized in a graduation ceremony. Ranging in age from 20 to 47, many of the women are single mothers on welfare. Now, thanks to the skills they’ve acquired, several program graduates have already taken jobs with local agencies and businesses. Others are still in the interviewing process.

Innovative Alternatives for Women was founded by Rev. Dallas Wilson, executive director of Agape Ministries, and Dr. Sandi Brown, assistant professor in the College of Nursing. Funding from the MUSC Healthy South Carolina Initiative Grant, the Enterprise Community, the City of Charleston, Heritage Foundation and the Community Foundation of Coastal South Carolina got the program up and running in December 1997.

The curriculum was designed with the input of local businesses. “I asked them what qualities they looked for in a potential employee,” Brown said. “Then I included those skills in the course objectives.” Thirteen local businesses have partnered with Innovative Alternatives for Women to assist in the training process: Agape Ministries, MUSC, NationsBank, First Union Bank, Wachovia Bank, Norrell Staffing Services, the City of Charleston, the Enterprise Community, Charleston Computer Center, Moore Computer Center, Sears, Roebuck and Co., Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough law office, and Embassy Suites.

Several MUSC faculty members helped the women learn about proper nutrition, health care and parenting. Bankers taught them financial management skills, like how to prepare a budget. Lawyers from Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough offered basic legal information.

To qualify for the program, women are required to have a high school diploma or GED degree. Participants attend class Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., a schedule that helps prepare them for working full time.

With the skills she learned, Nadine Williams, a single mother of two, was able to negotiate a great interest rate on her car loan. And when the loan came through, Brown said, “It was a celebration for all the women.”

“I’ve been teaching for 18 years,” Brown added, “and this program is without a doubt one of the most rewarding experiences.”

“The program was educational, inspirational and exciting,” Williams said.

Rhonda Mitchell, a single mother of four, found the one-on-one training and hands-on learning extremely beneficial. “Now we know that things like buying a home are within our reach,” she said.

The next 12-week course is scheduled to begin in April. For more information, contact Innovative Alternatives for Women at 958-0078.