FLORENCE, S.C. (October 31, 2019) – Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) has launched an Office of Apprenticeships to serve the workforce development needs of the Pee Dee.
The launch of the new office comes just in time for National Apprenticeship Week that is November 7-11. The new initiative will support connecting students with participating employers, who have apprenticeship programs registered with the United States Department of Labor, and it will focus on the following high-demand areas: Industrial Maintenance, Welding, HVAC, Machine Tool Technology, Nursing and CDL.
“We are excited to serve students in this way and to help meet the workforce development needs of the Pee Dee area,” said FDTC interim president Ed Bethea.
The Office of Apprenticeships recently held two informational sessions for employers interested in participating. In January of 2020, the Office will host a larger session at the SiMT, which will provide information to interested and prospective students, both high school and adult, who plan to take courses at the college, or enroll in the fall of 2020.
Registered apprenticeship programs have three primary components: an educational element, on-the-job training (OJT) and a scalable wage increase over the life of the apprenticeship. The Office of Apprenticeships hopes to coordinate opportunities for high school and adult FDTC students to have paid work experiences while they are attending college.
At an event coming up in January, the Office of Apprenticeships will provide information to prospective students and parents of high school students on applying to the college and also applying for an apprenticeship opportunity with one of the participating employers. Employers with apprenticeship programs will also be available to discuss opportunities with their organizations.
South Carolina has received national recognition for its work with registered apprenticeship programs. The state’s Apprenticeship Carolina™ division, which is a part of the South Carolina Technical College System, works with companies to register their programs and connects them to college representatives to support their training needs.
South Carolina employers who have registered apprentices are awarded an annual $1,000 state tax credit, over the life of the apprenticeship, and there is no limit to the number of apprentices that an organization may have. In addition, the South Carolina Technical College System has been awarded grants in the past that can support employers in training their apprentices.
Prospective students and employers who are interested in participating in the January event should contact Lauren Holland, Associate Vice President of Corporate and Workforce Development, at lauren.holland@fdtc.edu or 843-413-2739.
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