Spotlights

Celebrating Apprenticeship Success in Williamsburg County

Great things are happening with registered apprenticeships in rural South Carolina!

Williamsburg Technical College, Apprenticeship Carolina, and the community of Williamsburg County proves the adage “It takes a village” also applies to registered apprenticeships. In the last two and a half years the number of registered apprenticeship sponsors in Williamsburg County have doubled. The number of apprenticeship occupations and number of youth programs have also doubled. These apprenticeships serve multiple industries. During this time over $100,000 in grant funds have been awarded to apprenticeship sponsors in Williamsburg County to assist with apprenticeship education costs provided by Williamsburg Technical College.

What is the key to this success? The relationships and collective actions of a community of stakeholders (The Village) is the answer. With Williamsburg Technical College and Apprenticeship Carolina working together to drive the importance of these opportunities a group of dedicated stakeholders from government, industry, k-12 education, higher education, and community base organizations have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to grow registered apprenticeships in Williamsburg County.

Demeterius Smith has been serving as the apprenticeship consultant for the county during this time of growth. The apprenticeship service areas have recently been reassigned and now the county will be served by Apprenticeship Carolina’s newest consultant Tania Appel.

The transition could have simply been communicated by email, but that is not how the Village in Williamsburg County does things. Under the leadership of Dr. Patricia Lee (Williamsburg Technical College President) and Dr. Veronica Graham Jackson (Williamsburg Tech point person for apprenticeships) the college hosted the village so that they could collectively thank Demeterius Smith for his service to the area as an apprenticeship consultant and simultaneously provide an in-person welcome to their new consultant Tania Appel. The gathering also provided an avenue for interested businesses to learn more about becoming an apprenticeship sponsor.

Members of the “Williamsburg Apprenticeship Village” pictured left to right: Betsy Hudson (Williamsburg Regional Hospital), Frank Laratta (Starcyl USA), Bob Hannon (Hemingway Sewing Solutions), Jeanette Brown (Williamsburg Technical College [WTC]), Tania Appel (Apprenticeship Carolina), Demeterius Smith (Apprenticeship Carolina), Dr. Patricia Lee (WTC), Tashia Harrison (Telamon Corporation), Robin Cooper (Williamsburg Regional Hospital),  Melissa Coker (WTC), Sparky Avant (Embroidery Solutions), Torrance Wilson (Hemingway Career & Technology Center), Fred Morris (Palmetto Synthetics), Mike Cumbie (WTC), Stan Williamson (Palmetto Synthetics), Dr. Gayle Tremble (WTC)

Not pictured but vital members of the “Williamsburg Apprenticeship Village” include:

Gilleon Frieson (Williamsburg County Economic Development Board)
Eileen Patonay (SC Department of Commerce)
Rusty Gaskins (Waccamaw Council of Governments)
Kerri Kellahan ((Waccamaw Council of Governments)
Dr. Tiffany Wright (Williamsburg County Government)
Kathy Hammond (Williamsburg County Government)
Martha Burrows (WTC)
Dr. Rose Wilder (Williamsburg County School District)
Glenn Matthews (Williamsburg Academy)
Gina Taylor (Williamsburg Academy)
Christopher Williams (AINautics and STEM U)