Earlier this month, the South Carolina business community unveiled Be Pro Be Proud SC, an initiative to bring a new generation of professionals to South Carolina's Skilled Workforce. The initiative includes a mobile workshop housed in a specialized, 53-foot, double-expandable 18-wheeler, and will utilized in kicking-off an inaugural 2020-2021 statewide tour. Linc Service contractor, Total Comfort Solutions, is a proud sponsor of the initiative.
The Be Pro Be Proud SC project was created through a public-private collaboration to introduce students to the skilled trades and educate them on the opportunities that exist in the state. Taking a unique, targeted approach to removing the stigma from "blue-collar" jobs, its goal is to educate students and the public on the appeal and the importance of these jobs for our economy. Modules simulating the actual work in various sectors including forklift operation, commercial driving, utility bucket operation, diesel technology, heavy equipment operation, welding, carpentry and construction, technology, and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine operation, will be housed within the workshop.
Total Comfort Solutions' President Todd Hyneman: "South Carolina's blue-collar workforce is essential to the future of our state, so getting these type of job opportunities in front of our young people is exciting. The future of Total Comfort Solutions depends on young people being interested in the technical opportunities that are available to them. We are happy to be a part of the team bringing this program to South Carolina's schools."
Over the next year, the trailer will travel throughout the state to schools, fairs, career centers, conventions, government events, military reentry programs, and more. The project was made possible in South Carolina through a public-private collaboration of leaders throughout the state including the Associated Industries of South Carolina Foundation (AISCF), which consists of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the South Carolina Trucking Association, Carolinas AGC, Home Builders Association of South Carolina, and the Forestry Association of South Carolina, as well as the Department of Employment & Workforce (DEW) and other state education, workforce, and economic development agencies. Capital to build the mobile workshop and provide the job simulators comes from the private sector, including many key SC Chamber of Commerce members like Nephron Pharmaceuticals, Nucor Steel, Spinx, Duke Energy South Carolina, and Total Comfort Solutions.
For more information, visit the Be Pro Be Proud SC website at
www.beprobeproudsc.org.
Pictured: Total Comfort Solutions' employees Kelly Slate, Todd Hyneman and Ariel Fox
