WIOA and STEP Assist Students to Improve Their Lives

Two dedicated A-B Tech employees help individuals enroll in educational programs that lead to employment or better employment.

Ronnie Copeland, Coordinator and Lead Case Manager with the Workforce Innovative Opportunity Act (WIOA), and Jeremy Lett, Coordinator of Community Engagement and Supportive Services with The Skills Training and Employment Program (STEP), spend their days supporting the community through training and education.

WIOA is designed to help an individual enroll in short-term continuing education courses or long-term curriculum programs that lead to employment. WIOA offers funding that will cover tuition, books, uniforms as well as other supplies. “Typically, a lot of individuals could not come to school if they did not have this support,” Copeland said. “It can help change a life, even for individuals who have a degree and need classes for a new career or a promotion.”

The Skills Training and Employment Program (STEP) offers free employment assistance and education classes through A-B Tech. STEP can help participants with the costs of books, course fees, materials, uniforms, and up to three continuing education courses. Additionally, STEP can help participants create a résumé, create cover letter, polish interviewing skills, navigate the college process, and provide supportive services and referrals to resources to assist in removing education and employment barriers.

For an individual to be eligible for STEP, he or she must be an active FNS/SNAP Recipient and aged 16 or older. Both WIOA and STEP work with SNAP recipients.

“As the new STEP Coordinator, I want to first thank my team and all the work that they do,” said Lett. “Without them, these success stories would not be possible. A big thank you to Christi Cortese, Cynthia Conboy, Fabiola Cunningham, Tracie Franklin, and Dorinda Blankenship. The successful partnership between A-B Tech and Buncombe County Health and Human Services has been integral in all the work that we do.”

Under WIOA, anyone who was affected by Covid can apply to be sponsored in a continuing education class. According to Copeland, the application is three pages and can be approved within 24 hours. There are also other scholarships available to cover tuition, books, or an exam.

For residents 50 and older, WIOA works with AARP to pay for tuition and books in one of three classes currently offered. The grant ends in June, so people are encouraged to sign up soon.

Lett’s educational journey started at A-B Tech as a nontraditional student. From there, he transferred to Warren Wilson College where he earned a BA in Political Science; he then received his Master of Public Affairs degree from Western Carolina University.

Prior to working at A-B Tech, he worked for the City of Asheville in the Communications and Public Engagement Department. “My role was serving as a liaison between the City and Asheville’s neighborhoods, focused on community-oriented problem solving,” Lett said. “I partnered with City departments to facilitate communication about City projects, services, development.

“Prior to working for the City of Asheville, I worked in workforce development for about five years. The work that I did in this field is why I applied for this position. I love working with local communities and helping them to connect to educational and employment opportunities. Additionally, I enjoy working to address gaps in our current workforce and creating and implementing creative strategies.”

A STEP program success story is Anna, who began in the STEP program as one of Lett’s first clients in November 2019. “She is a domestic violence survivor and single mother of an 11-year-old. She will be completing her associate’s degree in Medical Office Administration and Medical Coding this month. Not only that, but she is also one of 32 members of the NSLS, National Society of Leadership and Success, at A-B Tech and will be graduating with honors and a 3.7 GPA.”

For more information or assistance, contact Ronnie Copeland at [email protected] or (828) 398-7948 and Jeremy Lett at [email protected] or (828) 250-5571.

About A-B Tech

Founded in 1959 in the heart of Asheville, A-B Tech is the largest higher education institution in Western North Carolina, serving approximately 23,000 students a year in Buncombe and Madison counties. One of 58 community colleges in the NC Community College System, A-B Tech offers more than 125 degrees, diplomas and certificates, as well as a wide range of workforce training and continuing education programs.

A-B Tech includes the main Asheville campus, A-B Tech Enka (home of the A-B Tech Small Business Center and Business Incubation Program, Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast and N.C. BioNetwork), A-B Tech Madison, A-B Tech Woodfin, the Goodwill Center and the ABCCM Transformation Village in West Asheville, and a new South location under construction at Biltmore Park West in 2023.

Learn more at abtech.edu.