The Silver Crescent Foundation Steps Up Efforts to Champion the Cause of Manufacturing in SC

March 3, 2009

COLUMBIA, SC – March 3, 2009 – In February, Silver Crescent Foundation President Karen Owens and two of South Carolina’s manufacturing leaders, Gary Foster of Automation Engineering Corp. (Greenville) and Mike Hill of AvCraft (Myrtle Beach), went to Washington to meet with members of South Carolina’s congressional delegation. Their message: Manufacturing is a key driver of South Carolina’s economy and we must train our next generation to prepare them for the industry jobs of tomorrow.
 
The Silver Crescent Foundation (SCF) is a statewide organization committed to promoting manufacturing vitality and career opportunities in South Carolina. SCF has begun several new initiatives to deliver that message to people all across South Carolina, from elected officials to school children. SCF’s goal is to spread the word about what manufacturing means to the state and to encourage more students to pursue careers in that area.
 
“Our organization acts as a catalyst for helping South Carolinians of all ages and from all backgrounds discover manufacturing,” Owens says. “Particularly as new federal legislation is considered, we want to show the state’s leaders that these jobs matter.”
 
In addition to educating elected officials, SCF is reaching out to the state’s business community through a partnership with SC BIZ News. The two have partnered to raise awareness of manufacturing and to encourage more of the state’s industry leaders to help with SCF’s educational and work force preparedness initiatives.
 
“We wanted to partner with SC BIZ because of the strong connections it has to the business community through its various publications, which are in print and online,” Owens says. “We believe that our partnership with the SC BIZ family of publications will give us high-visibility among business and community leaders across the state.”
 
SC BIZ will be the primary media sponsor for all SCF events, including the Salute to Manufacturing, which recognizes excellence in South Carolina manufacturing and raises awareness of the benefits of the industry for the state. Other SCF programs encourage students to consider manufacturing careers, including the Student Design Challenge, Camp Success, the Silver Crescent Scholars program, and the Discover Manufacturing workforce preparedness program.
 
“We want to mobilize manufacturing companies in the state to help us get serious about preparing kids for careers in this field,” Owens explains. “Our partnership with SC BIZ will help us accomplish that important goal.”
 
SCF recently launched a new, highly interactive website (www.silvercrescentsc.org ). The site has areas designed for companies, parents and teachers, and young adults who are evaluating their career choices.
 
“In manufacturing, students have the opportunity to make innovative products that can make our state and our world better,” Owens says. “Today’s manufacturing involves skilled workers who use complex equipment and many of these jobs require only two years of technical training. Manufacturing jobs typically pay 25 percent more than non-manufacturing jobs. If we are serious about closing the income gap in South Carolina, convincing more students to choose careers in manufacturing is an important way to do it.”
 


About SCF

The Silver Crescent Foundation is made up of business and education leaders across South Carolina who are committed to manufacturing’s success. SCF supports the vitality of South Carolina’s manufacturing industry and educates people about rewarding career opportunities in manufacturing. The organization accomplishes these activities through a number of programs that promote the benefits of manufacturing to people of all ages, backgrounds and educational experiences. SCF is working to ensure the state’s talent pipeline will remain filled with the highly skilled workers South Carolina needs to remain competitive.