OIC, Inc. of Charleston

The Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC), Inc. of Charleston is a non-profit, community - based workforce development organization, incorporated under the laws of the State of West Virginia in July 1966. The Charleston OIC is dedicated to providing those education and job training services that will help individuals obtain economic self-sufficiency. During the Program Year that ended on June 30, 2002, our primary funding enabled the OIC staff to provide intensive services to individuals with little or no previous work experience. Our goal was to assist students in recognizing the issues and behaviors that limited their employability and then work to eradicate those barriers. This process is, and was, labor intensive and time comsuming. It is also very rewarding when the results that were sought are achieved.

Through collaboration with other community services and organizations, OIC has learned that each individual and all of our programs benefit when a pooling of resources and skills occurs. Our January 2002 move into the Schoenbaum Family Enrichment Center reinforced our belief in the power of strong collaborations. Although there was some degree of trepidation connected with leaving a physical location that had housed OIC programs for 30 years, the need for a modernized facility could not be ignored.

The relocation to the Schoenbaum Family Enrichment Center not only resolved our ADA concerns, it also enhanced our ability to access an even broader array of services for OIC students. The staff of the Information & Referral service provided by LifeBridge, are a constant source of economic assistance and social services for those in need. In addition, the LifeBridge staff has referred several potential applicants to our program. The medical team at FamilyCare has been extremely responsive to the needs of our students, often making last-minute accommodations for emergent circumstances. The Learn and Play Center has given priority services to OIC students who need child care while attending classes. The Charleston Housing (CH) staff has also referred students to our program. Housing needs have been an historical barrier for many of the individuals OIC serves. The close proximity of CH staff has provided a much needed resource for our organization. Finally, many of OIC's trainees make use of the library resources available through the Family Enrichment Center and Kanawha County Public Library System. These wonderful partnerships and collaborations could not have been so successful if all of our programs were not co-located.

The completion and implementation of the proposed Integrated Services system will serve as an additional enhancement of this collaboration. Continuous program improvements and broader commuity outreach will make this collaborative a model for national replication.

OIC, Inc. of Charleston
1701 5th Avenue Box # 11
Charleston, WV 25312
(304) 414-4440
(304) 414-4450 (fax)

OIC, Inc. of Charleston:
(304) 414-4440
(304) 414-4450 (fax)