IndustryWeek Magazine Interviews Gov. Haley to Learn about S.C.’s Pro-Business Climate
July 9, 2015South Carolina has been a mainstay in the news for the state’s ability to recruit and retain major manufacturing companies. Much of that success can be attributed to the active role South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has played in promoting the unique advantages found here in the Palmetto State, including our commitment to workforce development, ports and transportation, and expansive supply chain.
Recently, IndustryWeek magazine contributor Patricia Moody interviewed Gov. Haley to learn more about the strategy behind South Carolina’s success. In the Industry Week piece “South Carolina’s Pro-Business Governor Speaks Out”, Gov. Haley offers insight into the state’s workforce development programs:
IndustryWeek: What is South Carolina doing to help meet manufacturers’ workforce requirements?
Gov. Haley: “The reason South Carolina has become so popular with domestic as well as international business is that we really partner well. We train our workforce for them. The partnering means that we sit down with the business executives and review what kind of workers they need, and we train their future employees at our own expense.
We have a hiring rate of over 95%. We’re doing it for Boeing, BMW, and all our tire companies, and I really believe that this is what has made us so successful.
We have one of the best training models in the country. One approach is to deliver training through technical schools; the Ready South Carolina program works directly with technical schools and corporations.
Another is that South Carolina has sixteen technical colleges all ready to go.
Finally, what makes our workforce strategy so beautiful is that we are not just offering training and skills, now we’re covering culture. South Carolina has four tire companies. Bridgestone, for example, has a Japanese culture; there’s Continental as well, which is German; and Giti Tire just came in from China. The culture for each is quite different, and our employees need to be prepared to work in each different culture.”
Read the entire IndustryWeek interview at: http://www.industryweek.com/competitiveness/south-carolinas-pro-business-governor-speaks-out
To learn more about workforce development in South Carolina, visit: https://www.upstatescalliance.com/about-upstate/information-downloads#workforce-education