Chester County, South Carolina

local workforce needs. In addition, there have been discussions to create an annual field trip to visit local manufacturers on National Manufacturing Day, which is the first Friday in October. The event would bring students from the county’s three traditional high schools and the existing career center to tour local businesses. Long explains, “Over the course of the day, all four of these schools will have a chance to tour four industries. We will host a meet-up at lunch and turn that into a mini college fair so they can see where those opportunities are for higher education once they graduate. Hopefully, this will also lead to internships, summer jobs, and help foster those relationships with existing industries as well. The goal is that we won’t do the same four companies next year… the idea being over the course of four years these kids will be exposed to a dozen companies in our community. We want them to know they can go