South Carolina's Youth Apprenticeship Program Attracts White House Attention
May 31, 2012
COLUMBIA, SC – May 31, 2012 – Apprenticeship Carolina, along withAiken Technical College, Aiken County School District and Tognum AmericaInc., participated in a roundtable discussion at the White House lastweek to discuss youth apprenticeships. The roundtable discussionsrevolved around programs aimed at improving education and helpingyounger Americans gain vocational training and enter the workforcewithout a college degree.
The group shared the vision for helping high school students get ahead start on a career in industrial manufacturing through the state’sfirst youth apprenticeship program with a major manufacturing company.
Tognum America’s vision for helping high school students get a headstart on a career in industrial manufacturing provided the startingpoint for the collaboration.
Our invitation to the White House was a great opportunity for us toraise awareness of the training gap that exists for many high schoolgraduates in America, said Joerg Klisch, vice president of NorthAmerican operations for Tognum America. Our meeting also enabled us toencourage other companies to consider using our ideas, and to encouragethe government to share our ideas with other states and organizations.We believe strongly that our new apprenticeship program will help thecommunity and our business grow together, and we would love to see theprogram’s model implemented in other states and industries.
The youth apprenticeship program, which will be produced in partnershipwith the Aiken County School District, the Aiken County Career andTechnology Center, and Aiken Technical College, will combine high schooleducation, classroom technical training, and hands-on learning at theMTU Aiken Plant. Six new high school juniors will be enrolled in theprogram each school year, beginning this fall.
Aiken Technical College is honored to be a partner in thiscollaboration. With nearly 75% of future jobs requiring more than a highschool diploma and less than a four-year degree, best practices such asthe youth apprenticeship program can help develop a workforce with thenecessary skills to meet the demands of local employers, said Dr. SusanWinsor, president of Aiken Technical College. We are fully engagedwith business and industry in our service area, and the roundtablediscussion provided Aiken Technical College the opportunity to showcaseour commitment to developing a highly skilled workforce that meetscurrent and future employers’ expectations.
It was an honor for Aiken County Public Schools to be recognized forour successful partnership with Tognum, Apprenticeship Carolina andAiken Technical College at the White House Roundtable. Because of thediligent efforts of staff from each of these organizations, our 10th and11th grade students will be able to participate in the state’s firsthigh school apprenticeship with a major manufacturing company, said Dr.Elizabeth Everitt, superintendent of Aiken County Schools. Thisinnovative program provides multiple options for students to enrichtheir career choices, offering hands-on high-quality work experiencealong with related academic and technical skills.
An apprenticeship is a time-tested method of employee development thatcombines supervised on-the-job learning and job-related education. Aprogram registered with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) shows anemployer’s visible commitment to developing a high-quality workforcethat meets nationally recognized training standards.
South Carolina boasts the fastest growth in registered apprenticeshipprograms across the nation. Apprenticeship Carolina has played a keyrole in this phenomenal growth, said Brad Neese, director ofApprenticeship Carolina. We credit our outstanding partnerships and aninnovative approach of growing apprenticeship through non-traditionaloccupations with our success. This roundtable gave us the opportunity toraise awareness of registered apprenticeship as a proven tool toaddress existing skills gap. It also allowed us to demonstrate theimportance of innovation and partnership in the approach.
About Apprenticeship Carolina™
Apprenticeship Carolina™ is an integral part of the SC Technical CollegeSystem that works to ensure all employers in South Carolina have accessto the information and technical assistance they need to createdemand-driven registered apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeshipconsultants are available to guide companies through the registeredapprenticeship development process from initial information to fullrecognition in the National Registered Apprenticeship System. Theseservices are available to South Carolina employers free of charge.Interested employers are encouraged to contact Apprenticeship Carolina™at (803) 896-5287 or to visit www.apprenticeshipcarolina.com.
