Tag: Education

Lt. Gov. Evette discusses workforce development at Coastal Carolina University

by: Adrianna Lawrence with WBTW. Originally posted Nov. 17, 2023

CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) — South Carolina’s lieutenant governor visited Coastal Carolina University on Thursday to talk about workforce development with the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies.

Representatives from Santee Cooper and Conway Medical Center also talked about how the workforce needs to continue to improve and grow. 

“Here in South Carolina, we’ve been very focused on creating the workforce of tomorrow, making sure that the world-class companies that are coming here to our state have the workforce that they need,” Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette said.

The Grand Strand is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country but ranks low for people obtaining college degrees. Recent U.S. Census Data shows nearly 30% of the state’s residents 25 or older have a bachelor’s degree. In Horry County, that number is about 24%.

CCU officials acknowledge the need for higher education credentials across the state. Evette said colleges influence the workforce starting at a young age.

“Many of the skills that we find our employees are lacking are soft skills, things that you learn in that first job,” Evette said. “So for all the parents that are watching, realize we need your children.”

Evette said the problem isn’t limited to South Carolina. It’s a worldwide issue. She also said colleges can help give hope to young adults looking for a path while solving the current problems employers face.

“When you get your kids employed and they get out there and see the real world and they see what’s going on and they see the difference that education makes, it inspires them to make sure that they stay in school, they do well,” she said.

Dr. Lee Brown, the dean of CCU’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies, said they created the program two years ago and have seen a significant increase in adult enrollment.

“Trying to be flexible, convenient, for that mom that has to work and has an issue with daycare or has to be home in the evening, being able to provide that access to education is where we sort of hang our hat on,” Brown said.

CCU recently began offering a program called CCU Complete that allows students who have earned some college credit in the past but did not finish to return and take up to five classes for $100 each.

Lt. Gov. touts education at chamber luncheon

Brandon Roberts,

Originally published in The Summerville Journal Scene on Nov 7, 2023

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette talked about the importance of education and a burgeoning workforce at the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Legislative Luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the Summerville Country Club.

Along with Evette, the 93rd Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina and the state’s first female Republican lieutenant governor, state legislators Sen. Sean Bennett, Sen. Sandy Senn, Rep. Chris Murphy, Rep. Gary Brewer and Rep. Robby Robbins spoke about adopted legislation and current legislation being considered in Columbia and what it could mean for the greater Summerville area.  

Evette first spoke about the role South Carolina’s technical schools play in the future of the state’s commerce and economic development and efforts to get young people involved in the workforce.

“When I became lieutenant governor, along with the governor, we decided to use our platform or microphone to really talk about the technical schools, and what a big impact they have because everywhere I go, every business I talk to, relies on the workforce provided through our technical colleges,” she said. “When I first became lieutenant governor – this is kind of a daunting statistic – we only had 42% of our population that had secondary degrees or certifications, and with the amount of industry that we have in South Carolina, and continuing to come in, we should have been at like 71 or 72%. So, we really have a lot of ground to make up.”

Evette mentioned the importance of workforce scholarships and said they are “making all the difference” in the state’s employment numbers. Workforce Scholarships for the Future cover tuition and required fees at the state’s 16 technical colleges for South Carolina residents enrolled in a high-demand field such as manufacturing, healthcare, computer science and information technology, transportation, distribution and logistics, or construction. She said these scholarships give people a real opportunity to join and thrive in the workforce.

Employees with basic communication and problem-solving skills is also something businesses desire but have difficulty finding, she said.  

“I fancy myself a business person, so I like to be out in the community,” she said. “I like to sit across the table from businesses. I like to figure out what we can do to really make businesses grow. As I travel around, I keep hearing, first and foremost from businesses, can you please teach soft skills in the classroom? We’re getting these great kids out of college and they don’t know how to talk. They don’t know how to solve problems. Can you just teach that?”

Evette then spoke about the importance of students learning fiscal responsibility, saying many young people “do not know the value of a dollar” or how long it takes to pay off loans.

“You can’t teach fiscal responsibility to somebody who’s never had a job because they have no idea what they have to give up to earn a dollar,” she said. “I started going around the state encouraging parents to get their kids working again. Our mom-and pop-companies need our kids to start working again. That’s why our favorite coffee shop’s not open on Sundays anymore and you can’t go get an ice cream cone after eight o’clock. There’s nobody to work.”

Evette said South Carolina’s small businesses and young adults need the experience of having a first job and she will be working with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) to focus on youth employment.

“Youth employment in South Carolina is the lowest it’s ever been,” she said. “And it’s not just here, it’s everywhere, and it’s not just everywhere in our country. When I was in Germany, I asked them what their three pain points were. It was energy, employee workforce and immigration – the same things we’re dealing with here in our country, they’re dealing with there. Getting those kids working is really a big deal.” 

SC lieutenant governor promotes STEM education as key to attracting tech industry

by Michael Owen – originally published by WPDE on September 14, 2023

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — South Carolina is pushing to be an attractive destination for tech companies, and our state’s Lieutenant Governor said the key is being a national leader in stem education.

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette visited the Grand Strand today to speak at a tech conference.

She was the host speaker Wednesday at the SC Decoded Conference in North Myrtle Beach.

She said that having these types of jobs and education resources available is crucial to our area if we want the younger generations to stay here.

The Lieutenant Governor also said that while Myrtle Beach has always been routed in hospitality, it’s now expanding into a new industry.

“With DC Blox announcing they’re coming to Myrtle Beach, basically bringing transatlantic fiber in here and being a data center. So, what that’s saying is this is the area you want to be in if you’re going to be in the cyber computer science arena,” said Lt. Gov. Evette.

In order to keep attracting those companies and providing future generations with jobs, Evette said education is the key.

“We have an opportunity. There are great choices in this field, and we as a state, want our kids to stay here. We’re looking out into the future that we are educating our kids for the jobs of the future,” she said.

In 2018, just 43% of all high schools in South Carolina offered computer science courses. Now 93% offer them, which is number two in the country.

She said we need to introduce kids to stem fields at earlier ages.

“It’s never too young. You know I first learned here in Myrtle Beach about STEM and STEAM doing robotics. They start them out very young with Legos getting the dexterity to put things together to create and build and they continue to ramp that up each year,” said Lt. Gov. Evette.

The leader of FIRST Robotics competitions in South Carolina tells me they have kids as young as four years old participating.

“When you go look at kids, they’re using technology. They’re using their iPads. They’re using all these resources and sometimes it’s just to have an environment they can relax in. What we try to do is flip that brain the other way and say how can we actually show the kids how to build that app,” said Chris Cortez, FIRST South Carolina. He added, “They’re using encoding skills that we teach them to build those apps. So they can actually understand at a fundamental level of actually how this comes to be.”

Cortez said FIRST wants to give all kids the opportunity to be introduced to STEM fields and have mentors to be able to help guide them in the industry.

“We also want to empower the students that are in our programs, and future members of our programs to stay in the state of South Carolina. There are great opportunities here and we are going to help build that economic boom of those STEM leaders with our programs,” said Cortez. He went on to add, “When they say there’s great jobs here, we want to be a part of that and say we’re helping build those opportunities for those kids to be successful for those businesses. So those businesses can come here and say ‘You know what there is a great workforce here.’ ”

The Lieutenant Governor agrees that equipping students with the right resources will be crucial to continued expansions into STEM careers for South Carolina. It’s not just kids she wants to be educated either. She also wants to see more veterans use scholarship opportunities to live in South Carolina and enter the STEM field. 

“We know that cyber is the future, technology is the future, and we want to make sure that we equip all South Carolina students with the knowledge that they need for these amazing careers,” said Lt. Gov. Evette.

Many tech companies were on hand for the meet and greet style event with speakers on topics like A.I. and cyber security.

Lt. Governor Pamela Evette Calls on Lander Grads to Never Fear Failure

Below is an excerpt from a story written by Karen Petit, May 3, 2023

Although many sitting in the audience already had overcome obstacles in their pursuit of a college degree, South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette called on the Class of 2023 to embrace failure without fear as Lander University conferred bachelor’s and master’s degrees to 555 graduates during its 167th commencement Wednesday (May 3).

Evette was the guest speaker for the 11 a.m. ceremony for graduates of the College of Business, College of Education, and the School of Nursing.

During a ceremony at 3 p.m.,  Dr. Lucas McMillan, dean of the College of Behavioral & Social Sciences, addressed the graduates from his college, as well as those from the College of Arts & Humanities, College of Science & Mathematics and the Interdisciplinary Program.

“Don’t allow fear to keep you from jumping headfirst toward your dreams,” said Evette, who was a successful business leader before being elected as the Palmetto State’s first Republican lieutenant governor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.

She told the graduates to put fear into perspective. “When we fail, we learn from it,” she said, noting that she looked back on every hardship and failure with positivity and had learned to accept life’s curve balls as opportunities for growth.

Evette implored the graduates to have integrity, which she called “a precious resource.”

Living with integrity, she explained, “is something you must do every day … even when you know no one is watching or listening. To me, having integrity is and will always be one of the most valuable things that we have in life.”

The descendant of immigrants who came to the United States after fleeing the hardships of life in Poland in the early 1900s, Evette told the graduates to dream big. “Don’t pump the brakes before you even get started.”

She asked the graduates a series of questions about their future. “Will you limit yourself or will you go for it, go for the big dream? Will you let fear stand in the way or will you take risks? What will you do when no one is watching? Will you choose to be divisive or will you engage with others with open arms and an open heart? Will you be willing to put in the time and persevere, to see curve balls in life as gifts?”

In concluding her remarks, Evette said, “This education has equipped you to launch your careers and participate in the civic lives of your community, defy expectations, inspire others and make an impact that radiates through your community and beyond.”

Read the full story originally published by Lander University on May 3, 2023.

Pamela Evette: South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor & a TR Local

Lt. Governor Pamela Evette sat down with Lacey Eibert Keigley with Travelers Rest Here. During the interview they discussed Evette’s service to the state, her priorities, her values, her family, and living in Travelers Rest. 

Please find an excerpt below. Access the full story here.

Pamela Evette has served as South Carolina’s Lt. Governor for the past four years (with a recent re-election for four more years) and she lives in Travelers Rest. She and her husband have raised their family on a farm in TR for the past twenty years or so. The family home and farm are next door to their business and when she’s not traveling throughout the state in her official capacity, you can definitely find her at home with her husband and three children and her 94 year old mother who also lives with the family.

“Everybody knows everybody,” Evette shared about TR. “That’s the beauty of small towns.” We joked about the added benefit of raising kids in small towns. “Yes, we really bonded over that,” Evette laughed. “I mean, in a small town, as a kid, all the parents knew one another. If you did something two blocks away, your parents probably knew about it before you got home.”

Her family’s farm is an operating horse farm and Evette said she still enjoys riding. “In fact, not long after I was sworn into office, I rode a horse in the Aiken Christmas Parade.”  We shared a few stories of falling off horses, something we’ve both experienced and would rather not experience again, particularly as women over forty. As far as we both know, she’s the only female elected official in South Carolina to ride a horse in a parade – and, more importantly of course, Evette is the first female Republican Lieutenant Governor in our state of South Carolina. We’re proud she’s a local – and she’s proud to be one too.

Of course, TR continues to grow and to change – and has changed dramatically during the history of both Evette’s family life here and her personal and professional career. “Back when I moved here, downtown wasn’t really a downtown. It’s been so encouraging to see how everything has grown. The wonderful history that wraps around everything,” Evette said.

She believes the growth of Travelers Rest reflects the growth of the entire state. “I think the revitalization of the Main Street here in Travelers Rest is mirrored all over Main Streets in South Carolina.” She’s proud of TR – and we are too. Evette said she frequently talks about our shared small town’s growth and improvements. “The vision of the small shops, the Farmer’s Market – they’ve done a great job going back to their roots and finding their heritage. People are yearning to connect to that. It’s the best last stop before you go to the mountains.”

[…]

I found Evette to be sincere and direct. She cares about South Carolina, its economy, its diversity, its people.

“I want our kids to be proud South Carolinians, to be so proud of being from South Carolina,” she shared. “I talk a lot to people about South Carolina’s fingerprints. Sometimes we can take it for granted – how great this place is. For example, we are building more BMWs than anywhere in the world. That’s our fingerprints. We’re building boats in Charleston. Our fingerprints. We are building planes. Fingerprints of South Carolina. We make pharmaceuticals in the midlands that go all over the world. South Carolina fingerprints. I want to explain to our kids how proud they can be of where they live, how our South Carolina finger prints are all over.”

South Carolina Lt. Governor To Speak At Limestone’s Outdoor Graduation On May 29 At Gaffney High School Stadium

Limestone College is shaking things up in order to provide a commencement ceremony for its recent graduates.

For the first time in several decades, Limestone is moving its ceremony outdoors. The guest speaker will be South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette.

In what will be the final commencement exclusively for Limestone College – due to the institution’s impending name change to Limestone University this summer – the graduates will receive their degrees at Gaffney High School’s football stadium on Friday, May 29, at 10 a.m.

Two ceremonies for the Spring Term were originally scheduled for Saturday, May 2, inside Fullerton Auditorium, but those were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One combined ceremony will be held at the Gaffney High stadium.

For graduates who cannot attend the re-scheduled ceremony on May 29, they will have the option to return to campus to graduate during the regularly scheduled Fall Term commencements on December 12.

Limestone will have a total of 295 students graduating, including 267 bachelor’s degrees, 16 associate degrees, and 12 Master of Business Administration degrees.

Including those who graduated this past December, the College will confer a total of 518 degrees for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Limestone’s ceremony on May 29 will follow the one by Gaffney High School the evening prior. Both schools will practice social distancing at its respective ceremonies. The College and GHS will also use similar ceremony set-ups that will include graduates seated on the field and spectators utilizing both the home and away sides of the stadium.

More social distancing details involved in Limestone’s graduation ceremony will be released soon.

Students will receive two tickets for guests to attend the commencement. The ceremony will also be live-streamed so family and friends not in attendance can view online at www.limestone.edu.

“We are thrilled to offer a meaningful graduation ceremony to reward our students, in a time when many colleges and universities are moving to virtual ceremonies or cancelling them all together,” said Limestone President Dr. Darrell Parker. “We were considering other options for a ceremony later in the summer or possibly in the fall. But this opportunity presented itself to partner with the local school district and we are grateful that it worked out. They have developed a fantastic plan that we are utilizing. We appreciate the chance to use Gaffney High School’s stadium, which is certainly not unfamiliar to our campus community because we play our football games at The Reservation. The Cherokee County School District and officials at Gaffney High have been tremendously supportive in welcoming Limestone’s graduation to the stadium.

“We certainly understand that for some graduates and their families, returning to Gaffney later this month might not be feasible,” Parker continued. “For that reason, any graduate who cannot be here on May 29th will be welcome to return to take part in a ceremony in December.”

Parker added that graduates and their families are also being encouraged to travel to the Limestone campus following the ceremony to walk the front campus and take photos.

Prior to moving its ceremonies inside Fullerton Auditorium in the 1990s, Limestone traditionally held its commencement exercises outside on the front campus.

Just over a year after welcoming South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster as its commencement speaker, Limestone will have Lieutenant Governor Evette deliver a message to its graduates on May 29.

Evette was elected as the 93rd Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina on November 6, 2018. Prior to her election as the first female Republican Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, Evette founded Quality Business Solutions, Inc., a payroll, human resources, and benefits services firm headquartered in Travelers Rest. Under her leadership as President and CEO, Quality Business Solutions grew exponentially, going from start-up to one of the nation’s fastest growing small businesses.

Evette has received numerous business and professional accolades, including the ATHENA Leadership Award; the Enterprising Woman of the Year Award; the Women Presidents’ Organization 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies Award; and as a member of the Impact 50, an annual ranking of the most powerful women leaders of Inc. 5000 companies.

A native of Ohio, Evette is the granddaughter of Polish immigrants. Her parents were first generation Americans who she credits with teaching her the value of hard work and the importance of getting involved and giving back.

Evette holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Cleveland State University.

“Limestone was founded in 1845 as an institution of higher learning for female students,” Parker said. “And now we have the highest-ranking female official from the state of South Carolina speaking at our final graduation ceremony as Limestone College. We are truly honored to have Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette addressing our graduates. We’re looking forward to an exciting and historical day for Limestone.”

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette visits Anderson and talks education reform

Story by Kirk Brown published in March 4, 2019 edition of Anderson Independent Mail

This story has been updated to identify Pamela Evette as the state’s first Republican woman lieutenant governor.

Pamela Evette, South Carolina’s first Republican woman lieutenant governor, traveled to Anderson Monday to visit the AIM charity, attend a law enforcement appreciation banquet at Anderson University and tout an education reform bill during a speech to the 1st Monday Club of Anderson.

The Republican businesswoman from Travelers Rest is holding elected office for the first time. She and Gov. Henry McMaster were elected in November, the first time that the governor and lieutenant governor ran on the same political ticket.

Here are key takeaways from Evette’s visit.

Pamela Evette says SC’s education reform bill ‘is going to be good for everyone’

Speaking to the 1st Monday Club of Anderson at Master’s Wok Chinese Restaurant on North Main Street, Evette said there has has been an unprecedented level of cooperation in the Statehouse on an education reform bill. The measure is scheduled to come up for debate Wednesday in the state House of Representatives.

“This is a new dawn of a new day where the executive branch, the House, the Senate are working together,” she said. “We know that education is something we have to get better on here in South Carolina.

“This is going to be the year that we help education. It is going to be good for everyone.”

In an interview with the Independent Mail after her speech, Evette said the most important aspects of the House reform bill would provide public school teachers with pay raises and lessen their paperwork burden. She said these steps would help “retain and attract the best and brightest” instructors.

Evette has three children who have attended private schools. She said her daughter attended parochial schools before graduating from Blue Ridge High School in Greer. She said her oldest son graduated from a parochial school and that her youngest son also attends a parochial school.

“I wanted to have faith wrapped around their education because my faith is very important to me,” she said. 

Some, including Greenville County Schools Superintendent Burke Royster, have complained about a provision in the House reform bill that would create a Zero to 20 committee to monitor and recommend ways to modernize the state’s education system. According to the legislation, Evette would lead the committee.

“I’m not looking for another bureaucracy,” Royster said.

Evette said the Zero to 20 Committee would not serve as an oversight panel. Instead, she said, it represents “something new to the approach we’ve taken in education.”

“We’re not just throwing money at something and hoping it’s going to get better,” she said. 

Pamela Evette: ‘I want to be your cheerleader’

In the past, South Carolina’s lieutenant governor presided over the state Senate and oversaw the state Office on Aging. But as result of the changes that took effect after last fall’s election, Evette is forging a new path in an office that no longer has clearly defined duties.

“What I want to do is set a bar for all lieutenant governors to come,” she said.

Evette said she has spent the past eight weeks since taking office “getting out and listening to people.”

She said she wants to call attention to positive things that are happening throughout South Carolina.

“Every day something great happens,” she said. “I want to be your cheerleader all around the state.”

Praise from an Anderson legislator for Pamela Evette

State Rep. Anne Thayer, a Republican from Anderson who accompanied Evette on her visit Monday, had kind words for the new lieutenant governor.

“She’s genuine, she’s sincere, she’s smart,” Thayer said.

Thayer also said that McMaster and Evette make a good team. She said they have shown a willingness to work closely with members General Assembly.

Unlike former Gov. Mark Sanford and former Gov. Nikki Haley, Thayer said, McMaster and Evette aren’t looking to use their positions “as a stepping stone to go somewhere else.”

“This is their destination,” she said. “This is their home.”

Follow Kirk Brown on Twitter @KirkBrown_AIM and email him at

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