With South Carolina's unemployment rate at record lows and the Palmetto State inching closer to full employment, Team S.C.'s mission to develop a robust, well-trained workforce becomes even more critical. To ensure our workforce meets the needs of both existing and future industry, we continue to take an innovative approach to recruiting and training.
Last year, we unveiled ManuFirstSC - a 62-hour program that allows prospective employees to jumpstart manufacturing careers with a certificate in lieu of experience. Opening doors to opportunity statewide, ManuFirstSC serves as a starting point in manufacturing for those who do not have formal experience and also provides our existing industry partners with a more efficient way to access a pipeline of talented workers. The program has already been a big success, with more than 1,000 individuals having earned the certification and over 100 companies across the state accepting the certificate in place of one year of manufacturing experience.
That success has been noted by the World Manufacturing Forum (WMF), which highlighted ManuFirstSC in its recently-published 2019 WMF Report. The WMF Editorial Board recognized ManuFirstSC for the program's work to reduce the skills gap and enlarge the manufacturing talent pool by engaging underrepresented populations.
In the manufacturing arena, recruiting employees is getting more competitive each day. Team S.C. remains committed to thinking outside the box to identify solutions to connect industry and workforce. By working together, we're able to successfully address workforce and training challenges that stand in our way.