Just over a year ago, Kim Miller Johnson felt completely stuck. Facing career stagnation and searching for a path toward long-term financial stability, she knew she wanted a career that offered real security and room to grow, but the gap between her current reality and the rapidly evolving job market felt impossible to overcome.

Everything changed when she took a leap of faith and enrolled in the newly launched Goodwill Clean Tech Accelerator (CTA). Through an intensive, hands-on training curriculum, Kim didn’t just learn a technical trade; she mastered complex competencies in fields like solar technology and heat pump installation, earning industry-recognized credentials along the way. Emerging as a top performer in her cohort, Kim transitioned seamlessly from classroom theory to professional execution. Today, she is successfully employed in a thriving local clean tech role, earning a family-sustaining wage and building a resilient career.

“Before find Goodwill and the Clean Tech Accelerator, I didn’t know how to find the missing piece in my search for a career,” said Kim. “The CTA didn’t just give me technical knowledge; it gave me the confidence to stand tall in a new field. This past year has completely transformed my outlook on what I can achieve.”

Kim’s story is far from an isolated success. This month, Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina (GIUMSC) officially celebrates the one-year anniversary of their Clean Tech Accelerator program, transforming career journeys into proven success throughout South Carolina.

Over the past 12 months, the program has successfully scaled to meet a rising demand for clean energy workforce training, demonstrating that human-centered support combined with technical education can reshape families and communities.

In its inaugural year, the CTA achieved extraordinary, verified participant outcomes:

• 86 Career Transformations: Across six completed cohorts (4 in the Upstate, 2 in the Midlands), the CTA successfully graduated 86 individuals who entered the program looking for a second chance and left as skilled technicians.
• Elite Technical Certifications: Proving the capability of its participants, the program achieved an overall credentialing rate over 95%. This includes a 100% certification attainment rate in the Midlands (30 of 30 enrollees) and a 93.3% rate in the Upstate (56 of 60 enrollees).
• Family-Sustaining Wages: Graduates did not just find jobs; they found high-quality placement opportunities. To date, the program boasts a 65% competitive employment placement rate with regional partners across the clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and skilled trades sectors.
• A Real Economic Boost: Placed graduates entered the workforce commanding an exceptional average starting wage of $22.43 per hour.

“The Clean Tech Accelerator represents the absolute core of Goodwill’s mission,” said Monique McDaniels, Goodwill Vice President of Community and Workforce Development. “We aren’t just training people for jobs; we are preparing them for long-term, resilient careers in an industry that will define the next generation. When you see graduates like Kim walking into the field with confidence, commanding over $20 per hour, you see the real-world value of this investment.”

The rapid impact of the CTA has garnered significant attention from South Carolina’s state leadership:

• Strategic Expansion: Launching the GCTA labs into the Midlands marked a major milestone, proving the program’s ability to scale high-level training capacity to multiple regions.
• Executive Endorsement: In September, South Carolina Lt. Governor, Pamela Evette, visited CTA’s Upstate lab, experiencing the program firsthand and emphasizing how industry-aligned training is vital to preparing citizens for the state’s green economy.
• Strategic Infrastructure Milestones: SC Attorney General, Alan Wilson, attended the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of the Midlands Clean Tech Accelerator Lab in Columbia, marking a critical step in scaling high-demand technical infrastructure in South Carolina.
• Commencement Inspiration: State Representative and gubernatorial candidate, Jermaine Johnson, served as the featured speaker for the second cohort graduation ceremony, recognizing the immense persistence of the graduates and the importance of workforce development in strengthening local communities.

As the Clean Tech Accelerator powers into year two, GIUMSC looks forward to expanding its employer network, scaling training capacity, and introducing enhanced curriculum paths. Applications for upcoming cohorts are accepted on a rolling basis, with information sessions scheduled monthly a regional Goodwill Career and Training centers.