Boeing grant to support area veterans through Skills to Lead program at CCU 

Courtesy of the Office of University Communication

An $80,000 grant from Boeing of South Carolina will fund the newly formed Boeing Skills to Lead – Veterans Career Transition program in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration at Coastal Carolina University.

“We are very thankful for this grant and excited to partner with Boeing to assist the many veterans and military families in our region,” said Barbara Ritter, dean of the Wall College of Business and vice president for executive development and career services. “This grant allows us to connect the experts in the Wall College of Business with veterans in our area to make a significant impact on their working lives.”

The Boeing Skills to Lead program consists of a two-hour orientation and five 1.5-hour development modules, culminating with two hours of one-on-one coaching. Participants will receive the latest information about techniques to succeed as a leader, practice the applications of techniques through case study and role play, and discuss how to transfer learned skills to the civilian workplace. Specific modules include: understanding leadership, understanding yourself; using power and influence; negotiating; performance management; and working in teams.

“Boeing knows that veterans make us better,” said Ashley Holbrook, director of national strategy and engagement at Boeing. “That’s why we partner with innovative programs such as Skills to Lead with Coastal Carolina University to help veterans and their families transition from military life to the civilian workforce.”

The program is highly individualized and includes a detailed self-assessment of one’s own leadership strengths and weaknesses, the establishment of a personal development plan, and personalized coaching so that veterans will be able to understand how their various skills will translate to different settings.

Facilitators include experts in veterans’ transition to the civilian workforce as well as experts in organizational leadership.

“The Boeing Skills to Lead – Veterans Career Transition program will help veterans achieve better job placement and career development by helping them understand how to transfer their military skills to the civilian workforce,” said Gregory Nance, director of veterans services at CCU.

Participants will be recruited through CCU’s Office of Veterans Services. Retired military enrolled at CCU are also eligible as well as spouses of active military members and veterans. Other organizations that will partner with CCU in recruiting for the Boeing Skills to Lead program include the CCU Veterans Alumni Association, the Horry-Georgetown Technical College Veterans Resource Center, the Myrtle Beach Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic, S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Development, Horry County Veterans Affairs Office, and American Legion Post 196 in Myrtle Beach.

Participants who successfully complete the Boeing Skills to Lead – Veterans Career Transition program will be awarded a TEAL Belt in Leadership from the CCU’s Executive Development program. Program graduates will have access to additional services through the University’s Career Services Center.

CCU has been designated a Military-Friendly University since 2011 by G.I. Jobs Magazine. The designation recognizes the University’s long record of support for military personnel and veterans. CCU also was recently designated a Purple Heart University by the Military Order of the Purple Heart and selected as a Top Military Friendly Online College from SR Education Group. CCU’s Office of Veterans Services was created on Jan. 1, 2015, to better serve the growing veteran and veteran family member population on campus.

Since 2010, Boeing has invested more than $37 million in nonprofit organizations across South Carolina. As a company that leads through innovation, it strives to inspire action and create an opportunity to help people build better lives and communities every day. Through strategic investments, Boeing partners with organizations that are committed to and understand how to make an impact and improve the quality of life for families across the state.