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We advance the competitiveness of South Carolina\’s citizens with a comprehensive approach to talent development beginning at birth and continuing through adulthood.
The Council’s Education and Workforce Development Task Force (“EDTF”) is the only statewide forum that regularly convenes leaders of the non-profit, private and public sectors to prioritize, align, and champion efforts to improve the quality of South Carolina’s education and workforce system from birth through adulthood.
Through the collaborative efforts of its members, the EDTF optimizes existing resources, expertise, and ideas and provides leverage for change. The result is better alignment and coordination among all sectors working to develop world-class talent in South Carolina.
Leadership
Pamela Lackey
State President of AT&T
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Since the EDTF began its work in 2004, South Carolina’s graduation rate has risen from 60% to 80%. The collaborative efforts of the EDTF have led to the following progress:
- South Carolina is a pilot state and leads the nation per capita with the number of people who have earned WorkKeys Career Readiness Certificates.
- EEDA legislation (“Personal Pathways”) that connects middle and high school students to graduation and career goals. The legislation also established 12 Regional Education Centers to connect business leaders and educators.
- Apprenticeship Carolina, a division of the SC Technical College System, that has increased the number of apprentices from 777 to almost 10,000, and the number of employers offering apprenticeships from 90 to over 600 in just seven years.
- Thousands of South Carolinians have completed QuickJobs training that offers students fast-paced continuing or career education for in-demand professions.