Orangeburg and Calhoun counties were certified by South Carolina as Work Ready Communities in September 2015.
"This proves we are work ready and trying to enhance our skill sets so we can be more competitive," Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said.
Orangeburg and Calhoun received certification through the South Carolina Work Ready Communities initiative. The counties can now show employers they have skilled employees ready for work.
Bamberg County was certified in 2014.
Also, potential employees can earn certificates identifying their skill sets while giving employers another method to screen hires.
The Work Ready initiative measures the quality of a county's workforce based on four criteria: high school graduation, soft skills development, business support and National Career Readiness Certificate holders. Businesses already use the NCRC program to evaluate potential employees.
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In addition to meeting its goals for having certified employees, Orangeburg County also reached a 70 percent-plus average graduation rate over three years. The county's current graduation rate is 70.7 percent.
Robinson thanked Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College and the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce for their efforts to ensure the goals were reached.
"We are a very large, rural county," Robinson said. "It is never easy."
Calhoun County also met its goals, including reaching a graduation rate of 82 percent, exceeding the 73.1 percent goal.
Calhoun County Development Commission Executive Director Pat Black said the county's certification is another milestone in its “economic development journey.”
"Communities are made up of people and individuals and Calhoun County is no different," Black said. "Every person should be prepared to participate in the 21st century workforce and seek as much education and development as possible for themselves."
He said the achievement will make the county more competitive, noting Calhoun County's graduation rate is the third-highest in the state behind Darlington and Georgetown.
"We are turning out good graduates," Black said.
“We have a real reason to celebrate with Calhoun, Chester and Orangeburg counties becoming certified as Work Ready Communities,” Gov. Nikki Haley said. “This again proves that the Team South Carolina approach is working towards making sure we have the most attractive business environment in the world for companies looking for a place to call home.”
“The Work Ready initiative is providing employers with a skilled workforce, which is driving the state’s employment number where, in August, we saw more people working than any time in the our state’s history," said Cheryl M. Stanton, executive director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.
"Companies are deciding that South Carolina is a great place to do business,” Stanton said.
