Graduation Alliance is excited to bring its workforce diploma program to The Palmetto State! South Carolina adults without a high school diploma now have the opportunity to earn a fully accredited diploma 100% online for free.
Diplomas for South Carolina Adults
The South Carolina Workforce Diploma Program is made possible through a partnership between Graduation Alliance and the state of South Carolina. This program allows adults who did not graduate from high school to earn the foundational education and practical skills they need to get hired, maintain a job, and become promotable, therefore strengthening the South Carolina workforce.
Graduation Alliance offers more than 100 online courses in both core subjects and elective options. Every course is taught by highly experienced teachers who care for their students and provide valuable feedback and learning support. Students are also partnered with a personal Academic Coach who will monitor their pace and progress and offer encouragement and support on their journeys to graduation!
In addition to earning a high school diploma, students also have the option to choose from eight industry-recognized credentials to pursue a new in-demand career pathway:
- CareGiver Core
- Certified Logistics Technician (CLT)
- Certified Production Technician (CPT)
- CompTIA A+
- CompTIA ITF
- OSHA 10 (Health Care or Construction)
- Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
- ServSafe Food Manager
According to the Statistical Atlas, 13% of U.S. adults over the age of 25 do not have a high school diploma. The average percentage for South Carolina adults over 25 without a high school diploma is higher than the national average at 14%, which translates into 450,000 adults.
By serving this population of students, Graduation Alliance hopes to increase the percentage of adults over the age of 25 with a high school diploma in the state of South Carolina and the nation.
Importance of Adult Diploma Programs
Adults without a high school diploma are disadvantaged in the job market. The Alliance for Excellent Education reported that “jobs that require relatively little education are increasingly done by machines or shipped overseas, and individuals who fail to earn a high school diploma are at a great disadvantage.”
There simply aren’t enough well-paying jobs that do not require a high school diploma in the United States to sustain the 28 million American adults without a diploma.
Graduation Alliance recognizes that a high school diploma is all but necessary to get a job with a living wage. By offering career certificates alongside diplomas, workforce diploma programs ensure students graduate with that foundational education and a marketable skill to increase their chances of gainful employment.
For more information about the impacts of dropping out of high school, check out our National Dropout Prevention Month article.
Graduation Alliance Workforce Diploma Programs
Every Graduation Alliance Workforce Diploma Program is a little bit different because they are designed to serve the needs of individual states. All programs offer a free diploma, and the differences lie in the eligibility requirements and career certificates: some state programs require certificates while others present them as an option. As of 2021, more than 3,400 students have become high school graduates through a Graduation Alliance workforce diploma program.
Six states currently partner with Graduation Alliance for workforce diploma programs:
- Colorado
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Ohio
- South Carolina
Adult Workforce Diploma Students
All programs require applicants to have already completed some high school credits or gain extra credits through our experiential learning course and have a minimum age requirement, which varies by state. No matter what students have faced in the past, adult workforce diploma programs give them a second chance at high school and provide hope for a better future.
Zachary O. is a recent graduate of the Ohio 22+ Adult Diploma Program through Lorain County Community College. He left high school as a teen and struggled with addiction throughout his 20s. After having a run-in with the law, he decided that something needed to change.
He started by going back to church, which helped him gain freedom from addiction and meet his wife. Together, they started a family, and when Zachary was in his early 30s, he decided it was time to finish what he started and pursue his life-long dream of becoming a police officer.
“When I became a stay-at-home dad and was able to get all of my credits transferred from my actual high school back in the day, I noticed that I only needed 11 credits to graduate,” Zachary said. “So that really gave me the motivation to get it done, especially since I was at home already.”
Since graduation, Zachary has interviewed for several jobs that weren’t available to him prior to him earning his diploma. He’s most excited by the prospect of working as a dispatcher for the local police department, which is a starting point for many law enforcement officers.
Zachary had only 11 credits standing between him and his high school diploma, and many adults without a diploma have even fewer. Graduation Alliance workforce diploma programs provide a fast, flexible, and free path to graduation that provides empathetic accountability and support to every student.
If you have questions about any of our workforce diploma programs or are interested in bringing a program to your state, please fill out our request for information form.