Aiken Technical College will graduate its last cohort of the POST ChalleNGe program on Friday, May 3 at 11 a.m. The ceremony will be held in the Student Activities Center gymnasium (900 building).

The POST ChalleNGe program, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, is a collaborative effort between the South Carolina Army National Guard, Aiken Technical College, Clemson University’s Youth Learning Institute Camp Long facility, Lower Savannah Council of Governments’ Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and Aiken County Public School District.

The graduation ceremony will honor cadets who have completed the 20-week program and have earned an applied science certificate from ATC in one of the following high-demand areas: basic tower and wireless installation, computer technology-networking, patient care assisting, or production technology.

Program participants have also earned additional credentials such as WorkKeys and safety certifications during the program.

The May 2019 graduating class is the seventh cohort to complete the program since its inception in January 2016.

The keynote speaker for the program will be AnThony Pelham, founder and executive director of The Community Powerhouse, a program established to work with at-risk males who have or are at risk of dropping out of high school.

He has also written two books: My Black Self: A Struggle to Find My Identity and Gotta Get It Out.

A reception will be held immediately following the ceremony. This event is open to the public.