Spring 2023

As the 2022-23 school year draws to a close,
we thank you, Valued Partners, for your continued support as we work towards 
CLOSING THE SKILLS GAP, ONE STUDENT AT A TIME.
We couldn't do any of this without YOU!
~ The Be Pro Be Proud SC Team 

 We want to specifically acknowledge the newest companies to join the Be Pro family:
 
SC Aggregates Association -- Be Pro 100 Partner
Cullum Inc. -- Journeyman Partner
Dobbs Equipment -- Journeyman Partner
Lineberger Construction Inc. -- Apprentice Partner

** Click here for more info on BPBPSC Sponsorship Opportunities! **

 Are YOU a Be Pro Partner?
If the answer is YES, then CHECK THIS OUT....

One of the Benefits of Partnership is the chance to talk with students DIRECTLY.
 Are YOU doing that?

Follow these easy steps: 

1. Look at the BPBPSC schedule regularly to determine when the Mobile Workshop will be near you.
2. Create special handouts/business cards to give to students with info about your company, job openings, benefits, training/certification requirements, etc.
3. Consider bringing a table and tent or a piece of equipment/machinery to set up outside the Mobile Workshop to enhance student experience.
4. Email SuzAnne at SuzAnne@BeProBeProudSC.org to secure your preferred day.
5. Enjoy meeting some of SC's next generation of workers and making a BIG impression on them!
    
   
   Another Be Pro Be Proud SC Mobile Workshop Spring Tour has come to an end, marking THREE YEARS of bringing Pride, Progress, and Professionals to the students of South Carolina!
    
    If you missed an opportunity to visit the Workshop this year, never fear: we are working on the new schedule for 2023-24 as we speak. Check back to our website near the end of the summer, and then mark your calendars for dates when the Workshop will be rolling through YOUR town!
    
    
   
   
   Let's Get Social!
    
   Do YOU follow Be Pro Be Proud SC on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn?
     
   Here are some recent Monday "Thought for the Week" posts...like or follow our accounts to see more!
   
   
    
    
     
   In addition to our motivational Monday posts, joining us on LinkedIn, Faceboogram will give you information about Mobile Workshop visits, recent happenings in the Skilled Trades universe, and updates about BPBP partners and businesses around the state. Click on the logo or the link for each platform to get started.
      
   Once you have liked or followed the BPBPSC social media accounts,  PLEASE SHARE the posts you see on our page within your OWN sphere...LET'S GET THE WORD OUT! To change the perception of the Skilled Professions, to generate the respect that EVERY worker deserves, and to close that Skills Gap, we need MAXIMUM reach....this means YOU!
   
   
    
   But WAIT...there's MORE!
    
       

We are always looking for PROS to highlight on social media and in publications such as this ondYOU know any skilled tradespeople who deserve some recognition?
Email SuzAnne at SuzAnne@beprobeproudsc.org with their name and contact info (with their permission, of course!) and tell us why you believe that we -- and the world -- should know about them!

Do YOU have GOOD NEWS to share?

 Be Pro Be Proud SC wants to celebrate Partner successes and Be Pro relevant happenings in every community in South Carolina!
 
Email SuzAnne at SuzAnne@BeProBeProudSC.org with pictures from visits to the Mobile Workshop, with employee successes, and with exciting new hires from our local next generation of workers. We want to be a true partner to our supporters and will include as many Good News Stories as we can on our website, in social media, and through our newsletters.

 Let's celebrate success TOGETHER!

We have taken advantage of opportunities during the 2022-23 school year to get in front of school administrators, counselors, teachers, and students to spread the word about the efforts of Be Pro Be Proud SC and to find ways to partner with other groups who share our goals.

 Since February 2023, we have attended the following events: 

• SCASA Spring Conference at Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia (school administrators/counselors)
• Tri-County Career Fair/Hiring Event hosted by Charleston Metro Chamber in North Charleston (approx. 2000 middle & high school students over two days)
• Power Up Your Future Career/College Night hosted by SC Dept. of Commerce at USC-Aiken (approx. 1000 high school juniors & seniors, including one of our own BPBPSC MVP students who will be a certified welder upon graduation from high school this year -- she wore her MVP t-shirt just to show me!)
• Construction Kids Discovery & Awareness event hosted by NAWIC at Lexington Tech Center (for families, approx 450 in attendance)
• High School to Hired event led by MEBA at Segra Park in Columbia (estimated 500-600 in attendance)
• Construction Palooza hosted by Horry-Georgetown HBA in Conway
• We also intend to have a strong presence at the SC Education and Business Summit in Greenville at the end of June.
   
  An additional note on the High School to Hired event: the goal of the annual event is to match graduating seniors with local businesses to secure employment opportunities immediately upon graduation for those students not intending to enter post-secondary education or the military. A smaller inaugural version of this was hosted last year in one Midlands school district, with 75% of the participating students receiving job offers as a result of the event. This year's event -- which boasted upwards of 30 local employers -- encompassed school districts from Lexington, Richland, and Fairfield counties; we were honored to participate as a contributing sponsor in its success and look forward to continued growth and success into the foreseeable future.
   
  If you have any information about events coming up in the 2023-24 school year that you think Be Pro might want to join, please reach out to SuzAnne at SuzAnne@BeProBeProudSC.org.

Are YOU using the Be Pro Website to YOUR advantage?

Bookmark our Resource Center tab to keep on top of the latest tools for success:

Apprenticeships
Scholarships
Parent/Teacher Resources
Supplemental Videos

An initiative led by the
Associated Industries of South Carolina Foundation (AISCF),
 Be Pro Be Proud SC is leading the movement to bring a new generation of
Pride, Progress & Professionals to South Carolina's skilled workforce.
 
 The AISCF is comprised of five member organizations:
 the SC Trucking Association, the Home Builders Association of SC, the Forestry Association of SC, Carolinas AGC, and the SC Chamber of Commerce.