SUMTER, S.C. — Graduate to Greatness is connecting students with opportunities after they graduate. Today, over 200 high school seniors from Sumter and Lee Counties gathered to interview with different employers and participate in enrichment sessions.
"It’s the three E's. We want to make sure these students are enrolled, enlisted or employed," Erika Williams with Sumter Economic Development explains. "So enrolled in a local college, enlisted in a military branch or employed with one of the many employers who showed up today to give them support."
It’s why Williams is helping host the event with TheLINK Economic Development Alliance, alongside Sumter School District, Lee County School District and the SC Department of Commerce.
"It's not a career fair. They have bonafide interview times and 15 minute slots once again, they selected their slot," Williams shares. "It's a decision day."
Twenty-two employers from across Sumter and Lee Counties came to the Sumter County Civic Center to interview graduating high school seniors like Johnese Brock and Jada Robinson, who attend Crestwood High School.
"I feel like anybody that's here, it’s a big blessing for us to use this for when we go to college or going in service or just in the workforce. So you can take all these tips and use them," Robinson explains. "I just liked how everybody came together and just help us because you know, we finna graduate so this is just a big help for us."
In addition to face-to-face interviews with employers, students attended enrichment sessions on topics like time management and finances, "which is a big help for us teenagers right now," Robinson says.
Military branches had tables set up and there were a host of representatives from different higher education institutions, like Alex Floyd with USC Sumter.
"I think it says a lot about our communities and how much we really value our seniors here and how much we really value them staying home," Floyd tells me.
It's allowing students to find opportunities at home while helping to strengthen the economy," Williams says.
"It's huge for the existing employers to see that there is talent here, it’s huge for the city, the county, you know, to be able to come together and rally support because it's not just about the individual employer, it’s not just about the students," Williams explains. "It's about our strength when we come together."
"A large percentage of our workforce, they're about to retire very soon. So we need a lot of students to fill those roles," Floyd details. "And so having things like this really shows that we're not just caring about them, but we're trying to prepare and better get everything organized for our community and for our jobs in the future."
Providing organization and confidence for students like Jonathan Davis.
"I think it kind of eases the tension of you know, getting to go to interviews and stuff after graduation and things like that," Davis tells me. "Just getting you more comfortable with knowing what to do in situations like this."
"It just helps us know what the next step after graduating and having that step like already in front of you, instead of going look for it which is much harder," Sumter High School senior Jennifer Varrios adds. "It's just right there for you."
Williams says each employer who attended the event is actively looking to hire students they interviewed today.
"The fact of the matter is these employees are here because they do have open positions," Williams explains.
Only companies that could offer a high school graduate a position within the next six months participated in the event. Out of those, 75% are from the manufacturing sector, which is the largest employment sector in Sumter County, according to Williams.