ATI Foundation Awards $272,500 in Grants to Advance Workforce Development and Community Impact
The ATI Foundation is excited to announce the first round of recipients for its grant program, awarding a total of $272,500 to six organizations to strengthen local workforce development programs and expand community impact across South Carolina. As the philanthropic arm of Advanced Technology International, the Foundation exists to remove barriers, build connections and unlock potential for individuals and organizations striving to strengthen the workforce pipeline.
“These inaugural grants mark a pivotal moment for the ATI Foundation,” said Dolly Pelto, Executive Director of the ATI Foundation. “This funding reflects our commitment to supporting organizations already doing exceptional work in education and workforce development. Together, we’re building pathways that lead to stronger communities, economic stability and a more resilient workforce.”
Trident Technical College’s Future Ready Certificate Program
The Foundation received significant interest from organizations across the country. While the available funding required careful selection of awardees for this first round, additional proposals remain under review and will be awarded throughout the coming year. To expand the reach of this work, the Foundation is actively seeking mission-aligned partners to co-fund similar initiatives. Organizations interested in joining forces to build stronger communities and a more resilient workforce are encouraged to connect with the Foundation.
The six awardees are:
Trident Technical College’s Future Ready Certificate Program: Equips high school students with hands-on training, technical skills and academic credits they can carry into jobs, apprenticeships or continued education.
Life Cycle Engineering’s IT Pathways Internship Program: Creates hands-on opportunities for future IT talent to step straight into the workforce.
Soul Harvesters Outreach Ministry Conflict Resolution Program: Offers a 12-week trauma-informed curriculum and transformative program.
Charleston Women in Tech: Supporting their initiative of a community-based tech education lab in North Charleston’s Gethsemani neighborhood.
Turn90: Supporting their reentry employment program, which they’re expanding by embedding an OSHA-compliant forklift certification.
Communities In Schools of South Carolina (CISSC): Supporting their school-based wraparound support program, which they’re expanding to 46 schools across the state.
Soul Harvesters Outreach Ministry’s Conflict Resolution Program
“This is just the beginning,” added Pelto. “We move quickly because communities can’t afford to wait. By cutting through bureaucracy and working side-by-side with partners, we’re creating a workforce ecosystem where everyone–students, job seekers, businesses and educators–has the chance to succeed.”