Regional Education Centers

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a Regional Education Center?
   The Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) calls for the Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council (EEDCC) to “designate regional education centers to coordinate and facilitate the delivery of information, resources and services to students, educators, employers and the community” (§ 59-59-180. (A)). Therefore, the Regional Education Centers might be best described as “matchmakers” that help to ensure that our customers (i.e., students, educators, employers and community members) are able to easily connect with providers of the services they need. The Regional Education Center will be made up of a network of service providers from across its region that all collaborate in helping to connect the local education and business communities.
   
   Because the Regional Education Centers will be coordinating the delivery of services and information across diverse, multi-county regions, the long-term vision for the centers is that they will be entirely “virtual,” meaning that you will be able to connect electronically to the service provider you need.
   
   
   
2. What services will my Regional Education Center provide?
   As noted above, the Regional Education Center itself will not be a service provider but rather a “broker” of services throughout your region. This means that you will be able to use your Regional Education Center as the central point of information for finding out how to access the specific services you are looking for and to contact the service provider you need.
   
   The EEDA states that every Regional Education Center must be sure that there are service providers in its region that do the following:
   
   • provide services to students and adults for career planning, employment seeking, training and other support functions;
   • provide information, resources and professional development programs to educators;
   • provide resources to school districts for compliance and accountability pursuant to the EEDA;
   • provide information and resources to employers including, but not limited to, education partnerships, career-oriented learning and training services;
   • facilitate local connections among businesses and those involved in education;
   • work with school districts and institutions of higher education to create and coordinate workforce education programs.
   
   
   
3. Where will my Regional Education Center be located?
   It is perhaps first important to understand the boundaries of the region each Regional Education Center will serve. The EEDA states “the regional centers are to assume the geographic configuration of the Local Workforce Investment Areas (LWIA) of the South Carolina Workforce Investment Act” (§ 59-59-180. (E)(1)). Because there are 12 LWIAs, there will be 12 Regional Education Centers. You can connect to a map that outlines these regions here.
   
   Because the Regional Education Centers will be coordinating the delivery of services and information across diverse, multi-county regions, the long-term vision for the centers is that they will be entirely “virtual” and that you will be able to connect electronically to the service provider you need. This means that your Regional Education Center will not be physically located in any one place. One comparison that has been made is that the virtual Regional Education Centers will resemble the electronic marketplace eBay. While a person can not physically “walk into” eBay, it is a place where customers can connect to those suppliers who have what they are seeking to find.
   
   
   
4. When will my Regional Education Center be set up?
   Please see the rollout schedule for more information.
   
   
5. What is the administrative structure of the Regional Education Center?
   Each Regional Education Center will have five primary administrative components: a Regional Education Center Advisory Board (RECAB), Service Partners, an Administrative Partner, a Fiscal Agent, and a Regional Education Center Coordinator. The RECAB is responsible for exercising general oversight for the Regional Education Center and for initially putting the other four administrative components in place. The RECAB will be responsible for selecting the Service Partners that can fulfill the customer requirements of the legislation; selecting an Administrative Partner to provide administrative and other support services; a Fiscal Agent to administer the grant that funds the Regional Center; and hiring a Regional Education Center Coordinator. A chart illustrating the formation of a Regional Education Center can be found here.
   
   
   
6. Who will serve on my Regional Education Center Advisory Board?
   The EEDA states that “[a]ppropriate local legislative delegations shall make the appointments to the regional center boards” (§ 59-59-180. (E)(1)). The legislation specifies that the Board membership will comprise a school district superintendent, a high school principal, the local workforce investment board chairperson, a technical college president, a four-year college or university representative, a career center director or school district career and technology education coordinator, a parent-teacher organization representative and business and civic leaders. Appointees must reside or do business in the geographic area of the center (§ 59-59-180. (E)(1)).
   
   Further guidelines state that business membership on the board must make up 50 percent of the total membership. In addition, the guidelines specify that the board membership must be representative of the ethnic, gender, rural, urban and business diversity of the Region and that in multi-county regions, business representation must include at least one member from each county.
   
   
   
7. What is an Administrative Partner and who will be the Administrative Partner for my Regional Education Center?
   Administrative Partner is the term used to designate the entity in a region that will provide administrative and other support services to the RECAB and the Regional Education Center Coordinator. A Memorandum of Agreement will be drawn up between each RECAB and its respective Administrative Partner to outline the specifics of this relationship in each region.
   
   The RECAB selects the Administrative Partner for its center, so it is not possible to say who that will be in a region until the RECAB makes its selection. Because each region is different, the Administrative Partner may be a technical or four-year college in one region, a chamber of commerce in another region, and a Council of Governments, Workforce Investment Board, or Education and Business Alliance in yet another region. It will be each RECAB’s decision as to who can best fulfill that role in its area.
   
   
   
8. Who will be my Regional Education Center Coordinator and where will that person be located?
   The RECAB will be responsible for hiring the Regional Education Center Coordinator for its center. The RECAB is also responsible for deciding where that coordinator will be located.
   
   
   
9. What are the job duties of the Regional Education Center Coordinator?
   Each RECAB will be responsible for advertising, interviewing and hiring for the Regional Education Center Coordinator in its region. However, a common position description states that each Coordinator’s duties will include but are not limited to the following:
   • Coordinate universal integrated learning, career development and post-secondary transitions in his or her region.
   • In collaboration with the school districts in the region, identify points of entry for business involvement with district education projects and work to engage business as needed for success of Personal Pathway to Success in the region.
   • Work with the employer community to identify current and future workforce needs and coordinate with service providers at appropriate levels of the education community and workforce development stakeholders to develop partnerships to achieve success.
   • Establish and maintain an extensive local network of service seekers and service suppliers to implement the mandates of the EEDA.
   • Facilitate partnerships among service providers to realize short- and long-term goals as determined by the local Regional Education Center Advisory Board.
   • Work with the Regional Education Center Advisory Board to develop strategies for meeting short- and long-term goals and assess progress toward meeting those goals.
   • In conjunction with the Regional Education Center Advisory Board, develop strategies and action plans for addressing any gaps in services as required by the EEDA.
   • Work collaboratively with all Regional Education Center partners and other stakeholders to ensure that all virtual Regional Education Center information is current, accurate and is updated on an ongoing basis.
   • Conduct training for appropriate staff of REC partners concerning Personal Pathways to Success, the components of the EEDA and the mission and goals of the Regional Education Center.
   • Engage in regular strategic planning and budget development processes in cooperation with the Regional Education Center Advisory Board.
   • Carry out administrative responsibilities to the Regional Education Center Advisory Board including:
     • attend all meetings of the Advisory Board
     • prepare status reports and maintain all records of the Advisory Board
     • conduct orientation for newly appointed Advisory Board Members
     • work with the Advisory Board Chair and appropriate Local Legislative Delegations to fill Advisory Board vacancies
   • Attend and participate in the quarterly Education and Economic Development Act Coordinating Council-facilitated statewide “best practice” meetings.
   • Work collaboratively with other Regional Education Centers and the Education and Economic Development Act Coordinating Council to realize the statewide vision of the EEDA.
   • Work with the Regional Education Center Advisory Board Committees to develop, budget and execute marketing and communications strategies that make the REC the focal point in the region for connecting users and service providers
   • Foster public awareness of the Regional Education Center and Personal Pathways to Success through speaking engagements, public appearances and media events.