Program teaching Rock Hill students workforce skills awarded $25K grant

One of the projects the program does is pack meals that students in need can take home.
Through the operations and distribution program, students learn how warehouses run and operate.
Published: Aug. 31, 2022 at 12:38 PM EDT

ROCK HILL, S.C. (WBTV) - One Rock Hill school program is $25,000 richer thanks to a State Farm grant helping prepare high school students to join the workforce.

The Applied Technology Center at Northwest High School in Rock Hill, S.C. gives students the opportunity to learn skills the workforce currently needs.

Through the operations and distribution program, students learn how warehouses run and operate.

One of the projects the program does is pack meals that students in need can take home.

It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to run so the program organizer joined 4,000 other applicants to compete for a grant.

After being narrowed down, the Rock Hill Education Foundation became one of a few to earn the $25,000 grant. Teacher Troy Massey says he’s thrilled his students can continue learning these important skills.

“For me, it’s just an awesome feeling to see that my students are able to come in and really work good and have these skills to where they can be able to go into the workforce and just be able to start right off the bat,” Massey said.

On average, students pack around 5,000 meals at a time for their classmates to take home.