By Elizabeth Hustad originally posted on Sept 25, 2024 by the Post and Courier North Augusta Star

She credits a first job working for Dairy Queen – earning $2.10 an hour and her mother advising that she better save half of it – with laying the foundations for success, both in business and in politics.

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was in North Augusta on Sept. 17, speaking before Chamber of Commerce members and promoting school choice and youth employment as integral in South Carolina’s future economic competitiveness.

Evette said that DQ job taught her about the value of money and the value of saving, and about working with others and, sometimes, with difficult others.

But now, the nation is at its lowest point for youth employment, she said – kids aren’t excited about working and they’re not learning the foundational lessons taught in those first jobs.

About 55% of all 16- to 24-year-olds in the U.S. were working in July this year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though July is also statistically the peak as many of these youth take on summer jobs that are dropped when school is back in session.

By another measure, the youth labor force participation rate – those who are able to work and are doing so – was about 60 percent in July, or just under the nation’s overall participation rate for all working age citizens but significantly below the 83% for workers in the 25-54 age group.

Gov. Henry McMaster’s Workforce Scholarships for the Future, begun in November 2021, is meant to reskill and employ South Carolinians through leveraging the state’s technical college system.

But that initiative, though successful in training more than 32,000 of nurses, welders, forklift operators and commercial drivers – among others – also left “a vacuum,” Evette said.

That vacuum was the entry-level jobs not being filled by young South Carolinians: the DQ jobs that teach the first lessons.

Evette and McMaster have partnered with the state’s Department of Employment and Workforce to launch the “YES” initiative to ease entry into the job market for today’s youth.

The Youth Employment Site allows businesses across the state to post their starter jobs and for youth to search the database by inputting their zip code and age and having returned to them the available jobs in their area that are suited to them.

But even the lessons of first jobs have to start at home and in education, Evette said.

“I firmly believe if a child can read, a child can learn; if a child can learn, a child can be anything they want to be,” she said.

Both Evette and Gov. McMaster are proponents of school choice and “a complete voucher system” that, she said, could be especially helpful for rural areas.

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But the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled a portion of a pilot program of vouchers unconstitutional: public money from the state’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund, the ruling said, cannot be used for private school tuition, though it may be put toward tutoring, materials and other supportive needs.

During her stop in North Augusta, Evette also touched on the energy crisis and its impacts to South Carolina’s economy.

The rolling blackout that almost was on Christmas Day in 2022 was the impetus for heightened focus at the General Assembly.

“We squeaked by. But it did send a loud message,” Evette said.

Six months after the scare, Gov. McMaster issued an executive order creating PowerSC, a working group to engage with the state’s energy stakeholders and “develop strategic plans to ensure South Carolina has the energy capacity to meet the needs of the state’s record-breaking economic development and population growth.”

“All the careers of the future, whether it comes as security or grid, AI – these are all big energy producers,” Evette said. And “South Carolina, we’re famous for manufacturing. Manufacturing requires energy.”

The state is also the fastest growing in the nation as far as population goes, at least according to 2023 estimates. South Carolina ranked 10th for the 2020 Census, having grown by 10 percent.

Doing “whatever we can at the state level to help our businesses continue to grow,” is paramount, Evette said. “We’re going to work on education. We’re going to work on our workforce. We’re working on energy. We’re trying to give you everything you need to make South Carolina grow.”

Speaking with reporters after her Chamber appearance, Evette acknowledged South Carolina’s No. 2 spot in this year’s Area Development Rankings, the second time the state has been runner-up to Georgia as best state to do business.

Evette said the No. 2 ranking was a show of “South Carolina’s fingerprints,” a reference to remarks she’d made just 30 minutes prior to the state’s manufacturing sector and its being home to some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country: wherever BMWs and Bridgestonetires are seen, that’s largely South Carolina production.

“And we’re just building,” she said. Investing in career opportunities that keep the “best and brightest” here and providing for ease of doing business –including basic hospitality – are big, she said.

More than offering a site to new industry, we stay with them, we connect them with our technical colleges, we work on getting them a workforce. And we’re with them all the way to the day they open up their door,” she said.

Evette will be back in North Augusta later this year, partnering with Major League Baseball as MLB hosts a kids baseball clinic at SRP Park.

Get kids excited about working, she said, but also get kids excited about getting outside and moving again (and leaving the phone behind).

by Shawn Cabbagestalk originally posted on September 17, 2024 by WJBF

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (WJBF) — South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor, Pamela Evette, made a stop in North Augusta today. She spoke with the Chamber about economic development and celebrated local achievements.

Evette discussed the state’s efforts to address future energy needs, emphasizing the importance of planning ahead. “Making sure that we can think 30 years ahead into the future by creating more energy because to be able to grow and do what you guys are doing here. Working on cyber, working on the grid, all of that requires extra energy and a lot of it,” she said.

To make sure North Augusta’s projects are successful, the state is working with local lawmakers who understand the area’s needs. “That’s how we as state government find out what job careers we think will be deficient in the years to come and how we can put an emphasis on letting our young people know what jobs will be there for them when they come outta high school,” Lt. Evette added

She also highlighted her commitment to business and education, including advocating for school choice and improving technical colleges. Evette introduced the YES Initiative, a program designed to connect youth with local job opportunities and teach them essential skills. The program links young people to local jobs via a new website, helping them gain skills and learn financial responsibility. “Whether it’s in an ice cream shop or a coffee shop. Something that’s a great first job that teaches ’em soft skills, but more importantly teaches them fiscal responsibility,” she said.

Evette emphasized that South Carolina’s technical colleges offer valuable career opportunities and are key to attracting businesses to the state. “So the more we can diversify and bring different industries in from all over the globe, the more we can keep our kids. And as a mom, that’s really important to me to make sure that we have opportunities for all of our children right here,” she said.

Also, Evette is partnering with the Augusta GreenJackets for an MLB event aimed at getting kids excited about sports and encouraging outdoor activities. “They’ll have all the equipment there and they’ll be doing lessons, getting their kids excited about being outside. It’s a great thing,” Lt. Evette added. The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 28th at 10 a.m. at SRP Park.

Originally posted on September 11 by Adrianna Lawrence on WBTW ABC News 13

FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and members of the state Department of Employment and Workforce visited the Florence Family YMCA Tuesday afternoon, highlighting the importance of young people in the workforce.

Finding workers is one of the state’s top concerns, according to the SCDEW. Encouraging young people to get out and work will benefit employers and teach kids valuable life skills. 

When you walk through the doors of the Florence Family YMCA, you’re greeted by young workers, eager to learn, grow and, of course, make their own money. Some are as young as 13 years old. 

“I’ve learned that I have to have a lot of patience and that I need to always try to strive through to keep me going,” one young worker said.

Others are in high school and beyond. 

“Some sense of dependability by being on time and when I’m needed,” another young worker said. “I learn how to problem solve whenever there is like small conflict.”  

Another worker said: “My brother worked here, and my sister, so we’ve really been here for a long time. It just feels like family to me.”

The Youth Employment Initiative aims to provide a resource for young people to find jobs and help employers in need of workers. 

That’s where SCDEW and Evette come in to say young people are the next workforce. 

“Why do we want our young people working?” Evette said. “Because we need them. Your small businesses, your community businesses, those are the businesses that support your Little League teams and your soccer teams here at the Y. They need our help. They need our kids to get involved and get working.” 

Brian New, CEO of the Florence Family YMCA, said he’s seen firsthand how valuable starting work at a young age can be. 

“They come back to me and tell me what the Y has meant, what that first job meant to them and what they learned through that first job here,” New said.

SCDEW Executive Director William Floyd III said kids, some as young as 13, will pave the way for the next workforce. 

“This is great to know where workforce begins and begins with Madison and younger,” Floyd said.

New said the Florence Family YMCA is always hiring young people. You can find a full list of jobs, here.

By: Scarlett Lisjak, originally posted by WSPA on August 27, 2024

GRAY COURT, S.C. – South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette made a stop in the Upstate to highlight the importance of young people entering the workforce.

Lt. Governor Evette along with the state’s Department of Employment and Workforce visited ZF Transmissions Tuesday. The manufacturing business employs hundreds.

Evette highlighted why working in a place like ZF benefits young people.

“Advanced manufacturing is really cool and we have to figure out as adults how do we talk to our middle schoolers how do we talk to our high schoolers about the cool things that happen in facilities like this,” the Lt. Governor explained.

It’s all a part of the Lt. Governor’s “Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders” initiative.

“Really encourage young people to get off the couch, put their cell phones and video games down and learn important skills that will make them successful in their future careers,” Evette said.

The Lt. Governor added that young people’s first job is where they develop skills that cannot be replicated in the classroom.

“The first job teaches us everything we need to know, it teaches us those soft skills, about how to we communicate with our fellow employees and our customers,” Evette said. “Things that businesses not just in our state, but across our country have been begging us for. Those soft skills that people coming out of college and entering the work force just don’t have.”

Preston McCreary is in an apprentice at ZF. McCreary said what he is learning there will make a positive impact on his future career.

“In today’s world it seems that education is very important, but experience might be more important,” McCreary said. “You need to know what to do, instead of how to do it.”

DEW tells us that they are actively helping to connect young people like Preston to employers across the Palmetto State.

“We have more people working today than we ever had, but we need more of them and tomorrow’s workforce is coming out of the schools right now. At DEW, we have regional workforce advisors who come along side parents, teachers and educators and put them together,” said William Floyd, the Executive Director at DEW.

ZF Transmissions offers an apprenticeship program so young people enrolled in a technical college can earn credits while they get on-the-job training and experience.

Originally published by the Post & Courier 5/28/2024

By Pamela S. Evette and William H. Floyd III

South Carolina’s young people are undeniably our future. Though they may be students today, they are our workforce of tomorrow and need to know about the great employment opportunities our state offers, especially to those looking for work for the first time. As South Carolina’s lieutenant governor and executive director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, we have partnered to help prepare our state’s youth with the skills they need to succeed in any career path through the recently launched Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders initiative.

Throughout this year, we are meeting with students and employers from the mountains to the coast. A recurring topic of discussion is the importance of our youth developing the requisite soft skills — effective communication, accountability, conflict resolution and many other important attributes needed to succeed in adulthood — and refining them by joining the workforce. Obtaining work experience while still in high school provides invaluable skills development, allowing teens to learn time management, teamwork and other practical skills crucial for employment.

While education is crucial, actual hands-on work experience through youth employment provides life-long lessons. Through Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders, we’re getting the word out to parents, teachers and teens about the importance and benefits of youth employment and the brand-new resources available to young people to support them on their journey into the workforce.

A new key resource now available to young people is the Youth Employment Site job board, an online job database that features work opportunities for teenagers with no prior experience. This dedicated hub for South Carolina’s youth showcases local businesses statewide that hire young people, as well as the job opportunities currently available to them and how to apply. The YES job board is searchable by ZIP code, age and experience level, and serves as a tailored and interactive introduction to the workforce for teens.

The available resources to support young job seekers go beyond the YES job board. The Department of Employment and Workforce website now has an Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders youth employment page at dew.sc.gov/youthemployment. In addition to linking to the YES job board, this webpage contains helpful information and tips for young people and their parents, including tips for building a resume, answers to parents’ frequently asked questions, educational videos that guide teenagers through dressing for success and other employment-related topics and more.

These resources help prepare and connect young people with work opportunities that benefit their finances and, more importantly, their personal growth and career paths.

Part-time job experience can help shape a young person’s future in more ways than one. For example, exploring different career paths and gaining exposure to different industries and professions can help shape teenagers’ postsecondary plans before they commit to a career, military service or additional schooling.

Part-time youth jobs often supply opportunities for networking and mentorships, which can change the trajectory of a young person’s future through meaningful connections made in the workplace. Depending on a high schooler’s postsecondary plans, a part-time job can also serve as a resume booster for college applications or, alternatively, help young job seekers become more competitive candidates than their peers when vying for employment.

Undoubtedly, the economic impact of having more young people in the workforce benefits our state, by increasing our current and future labor force, consumer spending and tax base. The true achievement we envision for South Carolina is developing a capable and confident labor force by nurturing the potential of our state’s young people so they can become the future’s talented, well-rounded workforce.

From skills trades to retail, hospitality to health care, manufacturing to cybersecurity and everything in between, South Carolina’s teens can learn more about the exciting jobs near them by visiting the YES job board, and employers can participate through the Department of Employment and Workforce interest form.

Pamela S. Evette is the lieutenant governor of South Carolina. William H. Floyd III is executive director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

Nothing beats that first job to teach soft skills and empowerment

Originally published by WYFF 4 on May 22, 2024

GREENVILLE, S.C. — When Pamela Evette was a teenager, she donned a polyester uniform and headed to her job at the Dairy Queen, something she says was formative in building the leadership skills and business skills that propelled her success as an adult. 

Now, as lieutenant governor of South Carolina, Evette has created the “Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Youth Employment Initiative” with the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

The goal is to help high school and college-aged students and their parents realize the many benefits of a summer or part-time job, even beyond the paycheck. 

They’ve launched the “Youth Employment Site.”

Evette said, “I’ve heard repeatedly from business owners that graduates entering the workforce often lack crucial soft skills, like responsibility, effective communication, teamwork, and many other important attributes necessary to succeed in adulthood.”

She said her own experience as a working teenager taught her that nothing compared to the hands-on experience of working a part-time job in gaining valuable experience in social skills and financial skills. 

On Wednesday, Evette and SC DEW Executive Director William Floyd visited The Home Depot on Woodruff Road in Greenville. 

Floyd said, “The best first step toward the workforce is your first part-time job, learn all kinds of soft skills, the ability to talk with people, help customers with their needs. It’s a great training ground for future excellence.”

And he said it helps South Carolina businesses and industry fill some much needed positions. 

The Home Depot manager Chris Abdella and assistant manager Bobby Boaen told Evette and Floyd that their part-time student employees often become full-time employees with The Home Depot after graduating from college. 

Grayson Stokes is a 21-year-old accounting major at Clemson University who has worked for The Home Depot part-time while in college. He said that The Home Depot’s tuition reimbursement program is an extra help along with the salary he earns and the soft skills he’s acquired on the job. 

And Logan Hyll, a 19-year-old sophomore at Coastal Carolina said his work experience at The Home Depot has led to additional skills in his major of marketing. 

Employers and young people seeking jobs can now turn to a special page on the DEW website to connect to employment resources including tips for resume building, information about soft skills and answers to frequently asked questions.  To connect. just click here. Interested employers can connect to a digital press kit here.