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South Carolina Commission For The Blind Introducing An Exciting New Training OpportunityBy: Steve Cook
Summary:
Announcement: The South Carolina Commission for the Blind (SCCB) has entered a partnership to train blood donor recruiters who are blind or visually impaired for the American Red Cross. 
Background
Preparing For Training Training Arrangements Employment Need More Information? American Red Cross Blood Recruiting Call Centers Red Cross has thirty-six telephone recruiting centers throughout the country. Anyone who successfully completes this program will go directly to work in one of these recruiting centers. The training is six weeks with transportation provided to and from the hotel. There is also a contract in place to provide meals, beginning With breakfast on Monday and ending with lunch on Friday, in the cafeteria on the SCCB complex. However, there are no contracts in place for weekend meals. Applicants should have effective communication skills, type at least 20 words per minute, and be proficient in the access software (JAWS or screen enlargement) that they will be using. They will also need to have at least ninth grade spelling and vocabulary skills. Once referred, applicants will undergo an interview with the Director of Human Resources at the Red Cross location for which they will be training, as well as criminal background and drug testing. For more information, contact Ed Bible at (803) 898-8786 or by email at ebible@sccb.sc.gov. Background Two years ago, the South Carolina Commission for the Blind pioneered a new frontier in employment of individuals who are blind with the unveiling of our Telecommunication Training Center. The training center resulted from a cooperative partnership between SCCB and private industry. Thanks to its overwhelming success, we are now able to begin expanding our horizons in new directions. We are pleased to announce a new partnership with the American Red Cross South Carolina Blood Services Region. Using the experience and methodology developed through our existing telecommunication-training curriculum, we have created a program for producing qualified telerecruiters for the Red Cross. Graduates of this program will be employed in Red Cross call centers throughout the country calling blood donors to schedule appointments. Preparing For Training The preparation for training is a multi-step process:
Training During the six-week training program, trainees will learn to use access technology to interface with Red Cross proprietary telerecruiting software. Skills will be taught and reinforced through role-playing and live donor contacts. Class training simulates a business environment. Trainees are expected to demonstrate appropriate work behaviors such as strict adherence to schedules and a business casual dress code. Trainee performance is constantly evaluated, and remedial intervention is offered when skill deficits are observed. Arrangements South Carolina residents are provided with rooms and meals at SCCB. Out-of-state trainees are housed off-campus. Weekday meals are provided in SCCB's cafeteria for out-of-state trainees. Trainees are responsible for their own meals on weekends. Transportation is provided for trainees to and from the training center as well as the airport. Orientation and Mobility services are available for all trainees. Employment The American Red Cross commits to placement before trainees are accepted into the program. If a trainee does not show potential for successful completion, the training is terminated. Upon successful completion of the program, agency staff assist graduates with relocation, orientation and mobility and technical assistance at time of entry into employment. The National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina named the American Red Cross Employer of the Year 2003 in appreciation of an outstanding record of providing meaningful employment opportunities for blind South Carolinians. Every two seconds, someone in America needs blood. The South Carolina Blood Services Region, one of 36 American Red Cross blood services regions throughout the country, provides lifesaving blood to patients in 54 hospitals in South Carolina and Georgia, including Augusta and surrounding areas. To meet the needs of hospital patients in the region, the American Red Cross South Carolina Blood Services Region must collect approximately 500 units of blood a day. Need More Information? Please contact: Ed Bible Director of Training and Employment (803) 898-8786 ebible@sccb.sc.gov South Carolina Commission for the Blind P.O. Box 2467 1430 Confederate Avenue Columbia, SC 29202 Toll free # in South Carolina only: 1-800-922-2222 Fax: (803) 898-8852 American Red Cross Blood Recruiting Call Centers Go to Top of Page Bookmark this article to: 
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