Charleston Metro Chamber awards 75 scholarships

The Chamber awarded the first 12 scholarships in 2014. In just two years, the number of scholarships awarded has grown by 525 percent. In total, 102 scholarships have been awarded, representing an investment of more than $330,000 into accelerating our region’s talent pipeline.AGC’s scholarship fund is targeted towards graduates of a Career Academy with a GPA of 2.0 to 2.9. These are students who do not qualify for the state lottery tuition assistant and often do not have the ability to pursue higher education on their own. Of the 75 scholarship recipients, 75 percent will be the first in their immediate family to graduate college.

“These scholarships represent opportunity. An opportunity to gain the skills necessary to pursue a career in a high demand field, ensuring a secure future,” said Bryan Derreberry, President and CEO of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. “With the Charleston metro gaining 20,000 new jobs in the next two years, they also serve as an opportunity for our region to develop local talent, producing and retaining the workforce needed for our ever growing job pool.”Kim Wilson, Principal of R.B. Stall High School said, “Eleven of our students are going to receive scholarships today. I can tell you that for many, this will change their lives forever. They would never have this opportunity if it was not for our business partners, the community, the Charleston Metro Chamber and Trident Tech.”

The AGC Scholarships are funded through Accelerate Greater Charleston, the Chamber’s five-year regional investment strategy to accelerate progress and achievements in Talent, Innovation and Advocacy. AGC provides the optimal assets to support growth in a highly competitive, global race for success.

The scholarships are just one piece of the Chamber’s work in Talent. The Chamber works closely alongside our local school districts and business community on Career Academies, which are career-themed schools within high schools, in which the learning environment reflects the atmosphere and expectations of the 21st century workplace. The Chamber recruits businesses to serve as Academy Partners, allowing businesses and educators to work together to provide relevant course work. In the programs’ third year, there are now 62 Career Academies in 21 high schools and more than 150 Academy Partners.

“SRC serves as an Academy Partner for several reasons. One of which is because I believe there is an under utilized equity in Charleston in the student population, an under utilized resource in our community,” said James Ward, Executive Vice President of Scientific Research Corporation. “We need to make sure that we aren’t just moving people here to partake in our careers. Let’s help our students see that they can have a career in cyber engineering, a career that they never imagined.”

View a complete list of scholarship recipients at charlestonchamber.net/2016-agcscholarshiprecipients. Learn more about Career Academies at charlestonchamber.net/careeracademies and for more information on the AGC Scholarships, visit charlestonchamber.net/accelerate-greater-charleston-scholarships.