Skip to main content

Signing Day

The Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships (CRYA) program celebrated career education with hundreds of students, business leaders, educators, and funders at Signing Day 2021. The event was held on Thursday, July 29, at the College Center on TTC’s Thornley Campus in North Charleston.
Former CNA/pre-nursing youth apprentice Kevin Boyd shares a laugh with Dr. Thornley reflecting on his time working at Roper St. Francis Hospital as a young high school student aspiring to attend medical school. He is currently a student at Duke University.

Former CNA/pre-nursing youth apprentice Kevin Boyd shares a laugh with Dr. Thornley reflecting on his time working at Roper St. Francis Hospital as a young high school student aspiring to attend medical school. He is currently a student at Duke University.  

Signing Day 2021 recognized the eighth signing class of over 70 new youth apprentices from the tricounty area, with many more still being hired for the 2021-22 academic school year. The event, sponsored by RegionsBank, began with opening remarks from TTC President, Dr. Mary Thornley. It was highlighted by a panel discussion facilitated by Dr. Thornley with four current and former youth apprentices. Kevin Boyd (graduate of Academic Magnet High School), Keyshon Green (graduate of Burke High School), Keri Sheffield (graduate of Hanahan High School) and Allison Shipp (graduate of Wando High School) discussed how their apprenticeships changed their lives.

The discussion was followed by the official signing ceremony between the employers and the  youth apprentices. Employers in attendance represented Automotive, Baking and Pastry, CNA/Pre-Nursing, Culinary Arts, Cybersecurity, Hotel Operations, HVAC, Industrial Mechanics, Machine Tool Technology, Networking, PLTW Engineer Technician and Welding.


2021 signee Sanaa Lemmon, a student at Cane Bay High School,was hired by Berkeley County Government as a PLTW Engineer Technician youth apprentice. 


Through CRYA, Trident Tech connects qualified high school students with participating employers. The employers interview and hire the students, who then begin employment while taking high school and college courses. At the completion of the apprenticeships, students will have earned a high school diploma, a TTC certificate, a journeyman credential from the U.S. Department of Labor and two years of paid work experience.

Costs associated with the program, including tuition, books and most materials for apprenticeship-related courses at Trident Technical College, are paid for through the support of several funders. 

Funders include Apprenticeship Carolina/U.S. Department of Labor, Bank of America, Boeing, Charleston Engineers Joint Council, Daniel Island Rotary, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeships (PAYA), Regions Bank Foundation and Truist. Currently, there are 45 business partners who have or are interested in hiring youth apprentices for the 2021-22 academic school year. 


Signing Day 2021 recognized the eighth signing class of the Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships program of over 70 new youth apprentices from the tricounty area.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Laptop is a Game-Changer

When life throws you one challenge after another, you start to appreciate the small wins.  For Trident Tech student Kristi Salvo, receiving a new laptop through the Student Urgent Needs (SUN) fund was a game-changer.  Like students across the country, Salvo’s in-person classes were abruptly switched to an online format this spring due to COVID-19. But she knew her older computer couldn’t keep up with the online demands and she couldn't afford to buy a new one. “I was already dealing with a lot and it felt like this was going to be the thing that would break me,” she said. Salvo, a veteran of the US Air Force, struggles with health issues, including a back injury and a severe autoimmune disorder. In March, she and her husband separated, leaving her to juggle the responsibility of being a student, while also being a teacher to their two young children. All this, while trying to stay healthy and safe during a global pandemic. After Salvo and her children moved into a smaller, mor...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Path to Success

As the 11th of 14 children, Kathy Simmons knows what it’s like to be a part of a close-knit family. Which is exactly why she has made her way back to Trident Technical College 33 years after graduating in 1985. Kathy’s path back to TTC began with her desire to fulfill two goals – advance her education and travel – and she figured the best way to accomplish both was through the military. So Kathy joined the Air Force in 1987, and did indeed accomplish both goals. She received her Bachelor of Arts while stationed in Minot, North Dakota, her Master of Arts from Erskine Theological Seminary and she has completed 60 hours toward a Doctor of Education from Walden University. She saw much of the country and spent time overseas in Korea. After the military, Kathy found herself back at TTC in the Admissions and Registrar’s office, and it was there she realized she really wanted to stay in education and help students find success. But a wise mentor once told her that in order to advance...
6 comments
Read more

Alumna Living her Best Life

E arning a college degree is challenging enough. But for single parents, it can seem like an insurmountable feat. Costs like living expenses and childcare only add to the stress of paying tuition. Making time to study usually means waiting until after the kids are in bed, leading to added exhaustion and stress.  When Joyce Antonetty attended Trident Technical College as a single parent of two young children, she knew it would be difficult. But she was determined to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a Fitness Specialist.  “I wanted to help people become a healthier version of themselves,” says Joyce. Joyce had been down this road before. Like many Trident Tech students, she had attended a four-year college immediately after high school. But when she was waitlisted to enter the Physical Therapy program at MUSC, she postponed her dream in order to start a family.  Joyce's life took an unexpected turn when she went through a divorce in 2010. She held se...
4 comments
Read more