Wilbur Wright of the pioneering Wright Brothers once said, "It is possible to fly without motors but not without knowledge and skill." Over the last seven years, South Carolina has developed a strong reputation as an ideal destination for business, but this didn't come about by chance or good luck. Unquestionably, one of the single biggest factors of our success has been the state's workforce.
With a variety of tools, programs and initiatives at their disposal, the S.C. Technical College System has played a critical role in the training and development of a future-ready workforce. One such initiative is Apprenticeship Carolina, which pulls talent from across the state -- regardless of whether applicants have a traditional four-year degree -- to introduce our next-generation workforce to next-generation manufacturing. Established in 2007 with the objective of registering 20,000 apprentices in South Carolina by 2020, the program has far surpassed expectations and hit its initial goal a remarkable four years ahead of schedule.
This past Monday, Apprenticeship Carolina celebrated its 10th anniversary with a luncheon in Columbia, S.C. Bringing together technical college representatives, firms that have registered apprenticeship programs and other industry leaders, the event recognized all that the initiative has accomplished over the past decade. In total, Apprenticeship Carolina has served more than 1,000 companies, and approximately 28,000 South Carolinians have registered as apprentices.
As we continue to push forward in an ever-changing economy, it's clear that tools like Apprenticeship Carolina are critical. After all, these resources allow our workforce training offerings to remain on the cutting edge and meet the needs of both existing and prospective industries.