October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and this episode of The Works Podcast highlights the vital role vocational rehabilitation plays in strengthening South Carolina’s workforce.

 In this episode, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director and Coordinating Council for Workforce Development (CCWD) Chair William Floyd welcomes Felicia Johnson, Commissioner of the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department (SCVRD) and CCWD member, for an insightful conversation about her journey and the agency’s impact across the state. Commissioner Johnson shares how starting as a student intern at Vocational Rehabilitation ultimately led her to becoming Commissioner, and how internships continue to play a vital role in helping students discover career paths and helping employers identify strong talent. 

The conversation highlights the work of SCVRD, including its mission to help individuals with disabilities gain or maintain competitive employment, and how partnerships with businesses and colleges support job readiness, soft skills development, and long-term career success. Chairman Floyd and Commissioner Johnson also discuss their recent visits to employers and programs such as Marwin and the USC Aiken LIFE Program, where they witnessed firsthand the power of inclusion and the importance of preparing students with disabilities for independent living and meaningful work opportunities. 

Watch now on YouTube at youtu.be/so8zDBPdB_A, listen on your favorite streaming platform, and explore all episodes at findyourfuture.sc.gov/theworks.

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

n this episode, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director and Coordinating Council for Workforce Development (CCWD) Chair William Floyd welcomes back Dr. Rebecca Battle-Bryant, Director of the Office of State Workforce Development (OSWD), for an engaging retrospective on the most recent CCWD meeting. Dr. Battle-Bryant shares how the reinvigoration of the Coordinating Council has increased collaboration between educators and employers, and how staying aligned with the Unified State Plan continues to strengthen South Carolina’s workforce.

The conversation showcased the progress made by the CCWD, starting with the status of the Find Your Future (FYF) portal – a virtual, interactive platform that helps South   Carolinians connect to personalized education, training, and employment opportunities tailored to them – and the progress each committee is making on its annual deliverables.

Dr. Rebecca Battle-Bryant and Chairman Floyd shared insights from a thought-provoking panel discussion with three young men now employed by the businesses where they interned, who discussed how their early internship experiences helped them develop the foundational skills necessary for long-term career success. Dr. Battle-Bryant shared how the panelists highlighted the importance of durable/soft skills and how educators can connect curriculum to skills employers are seeking, and the impact of mentoring the younger generation. 

Watch now on YouTube at youtu.be/vNICffsmLOg and explore all episodes at findyourfuture.sc.gov/theworks.

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In this episode, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director and Coordinating Council for Workforce Development (CCWD) Chair William Floyd welcomes Emily Farr, Director of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), for an in-depth conversation about safety, licensure, and South Carolina’s workforce. Farr shares how LLR keeps our state safe, regulates countless professions, and supports career pathways that don’t require a two‑ or four‑year degree—opening doors to rewarding careers many South Carolinians may not know exist. 

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In this episode, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director and Coordinating Council for Workforce Development (CCWD) Chair William Floyd sits down with Duane Parrish, Director of South Carolina Parks, Recreation & Tourism (PRT), for a deep dive into one of the state’s most powerful economic engines: hospitality and tourism.

Parrish reflects on how his very first job at a Columbia hotel sparked a lifelong passion for hospitality and tourism and how the industry today supports more than 240,000 jobs and contributes over $30 billion in economic impact across South Carolina. He continues by sharing how early work experiences help young people build confidence, why soft skills like communication and problem-solving remain essential, and how statewide efforts such as the Find Your Future website and collaboration among the CCWD are creating clear pathways for jobseekers. 

Parrish also highlights the wide range of career opportunities in tourism, from hotels, restaurants, and attractions to film production, state parks, aquariums, and outdoor recreation, showing just how many ways individuals can build a fulfilling career in this growing field.

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In this episode, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director and Coordinating Council for Workforce Development (CCWD) Chair William Floyd welcomes South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette for an important conversation on youth employment and the growing demand for tomorrow’s workforce. Evette shares what she’s hearing directly from businesses across the state, why soft skills matter, and how the Youth Employment Site (YES) helps teens connect with seasonal and part-time work, as well as career exploration opportunities.

The discussion highlights the impact of internships, hands-on experience, and early exposure to career pathways—including a powerful story from a young apprentice at ZF Transmission whose on-the-job learning helped him discover his true calling in engineering.

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In this episode, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director and Chair of the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development, William Floyd, sits down with Jess Key of Newport News Shipbuilding to discuss the company's workforce needs, career opportunities, and the importance of building strong talent pipelines for South Carolina's future.

Key shares how partnerships between industry, education, and workforce organizations help connect jobseekers with high-demand careers while supporting one of the nation's leading shipbuilding companies. The conversation also explores the skills employers are looking for, the value of apprenticeship and training programs, and how collaboration is creating pathways to long-term career success.

Watch now on YouTube at youtu.be/Phbs7i20b3Q, listen on your favorite streaming service or BuzzSprout at bit.ly/4vjtGKd, and explore all episodes and resources at findyourfuture.sc.gov/theworks

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In this episode, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director and Chair of the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development (CCWD) William Floyd sits down with Jay West, former South Carolina Representative and now Director of Government Affairs and Executive Advisor for the Office of Regulatory Staff.

West reflects on his early role in helping reimagine the CCWD and shaping the vision behind South Carolina’s Unified State Plan (USP), including a statewide portal that is in development.

The conversation also highlighted how CCWD leaders across the state worked together to build the USP and set the stage for South Carolina’s new portal, which will be a virtual, interactive platform that helps South Carolinians connect to personalized education, training, and employment opportunities tailored to them.

Watch now on YouTube at youtu.be/12uloutAt4g and explore all episodes and resources at www.findyourfuture.sc.gov/theworks.

For more information on career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov.

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In this episode, DEW Executive Director William Floyd sits down with Dr. Jeff Perez, Executive Director of the SC Commission on Higher Education (CHE) and Executive Committee member of the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development (CCWD), to discuss how collaboration between education, workforce partners, employers, and state agencies helps strengthen career pathways across South Carolina.

Dr. Perez also shares how agencies, higher education institutions, nonprofits, and businesses are working together through the CCWD to build a stronger and more connected workforce pipeline for South Carolina’s future.

Watch now on YouTube at https://bit.ly/4tQARsH, listen on your favorite streaming service.

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit findyourfuture.sc.gov.

Learn more:
• Explore past episodes of The Works Podcast
https://findyourfuture.sc.gov/theworks

• Learn more about the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
https://che.sc.gov

• Discover the work of the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development
https://dew.sc.gov/CCWD

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In Episode 5, Executive Director and Chair of the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development (CCWD), William Floyd, talks with Dr. Tim Hardee, President and Executive Director of the South Carolina Technical College System and Vice Chair of the CCWD, about how partnerships with employers, apprenticeship programs, and training pathways are helping connect South Carolinians to opportunity.

The episode also highlights how the Technical College System serves approximately 160,000 students each year and works with communities and industries across South Carolina to prepare individuals for careers that support the state’s growing workforce needs.

Watch now on YouTube at bit.ly/3QqxhYh and find all episodes and resources at www.findyourfuture.sc.gov/theworks. 

Learn more about workforce training programs and career opportunities in South Carolina:

Coordinating Council for Workforce Development

https://dew.sc.gov/CCWD

South Carolina Technical College System

Learn more about technical college programs, readySC, and Apprenticeship Carolina.

https://www.sctechsystem.edu

SC Works

Explore job openings and career opportunities across South Carolina, including positions connected to major employers like Scout Motors.

https://scworks.org

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In Episode 4, Executive Director William Floyd sits down with Warren Snead, HR Manager at Cooper Standard and Vice Chair of the State Workforce Development Board, to talk about how internships help students connect to real career opportunities earlier and how employers across South Carolina are building strong talent pipelines through career exploration programs. 

The conversation also highlights how DEW’s STAYS program supports transitioning service members and their spouses as they enter civilian careers, and how public-private partnerships across the state between employers and state agencies, like the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development and State Workforce Development Board, continue strengthening career pathways for students and veterans. 

This episode reflects the ongoing collaboration between education, workforce partners, and employers working together to expand opportunity across South Carolina.

The podcast can be heard on your favorite streaming platform through https://bit.ly/48t4kkm

Learn more about internships and workforce initiatives in South Carolina:  

Regional Workforce Advisors 

https://dew.sc.gov/RWA 

Coordinating Council for Workforce Development

 https://dew.sc.gov/CCWD 

State Workforce Development Board

https://scworks.org/workforce-system/partners/state-workforce-development-board

S.T.A.Y.S. (Stay To Apply Your Skills)

https://dew.sc.gov/stays

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov 

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc

Twitter: @FYFSC

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/

YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In this episode, DEW Executive Director William Floyd sits down with Dr. Rebecca Battle-Bryant, Director of the Office of Statewide Workforce Development, to discuss the important role internships play in strengthening South Carolina’s workforce pipeline. The conversation explores how internships help students build skills, increase awareness of career opportunities in their communities, and connect with employers earlier across the state. Dr. Battle-Bryant also shares how employers and educators can work together to expand access to internships, especially for high school students, and explains how these efforts support the priorities of the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development and the Unified State Plan. Through collaboration with education partners, employers, and workforce leaders across South Carolina, these initiatives are helping create stronger pathways that connect more people with work and more work with people.

Learn more about internships and workforce initiatives in South Carolina:

Regional Workforce Advisors
https://dew.sc.gov/RWA

Coordinating Council for Workforce Development
https://dew.sc.gov/CCWD

South Carolina Department of Education Work-Based Learning Report
https://ed.sc.gov/instruction/career-and-technical-education/career-guidance/work-based-learning/proviso-1a-5-wbl/

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In this episode, DEW Executive Director William Floyd sits down with South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette to discuss the importance of soft skills in preparing the next generation of South Carolina’s workforce. The conversation explores the growing need for workplace readiness, the value of youth employment, and how early job experiences help young people develop accountability, professionalism, and financial responsibility. Through insights shared from employers across the state and continued collaboration with the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development, the discussion highlights how leaders are working together to ensure students are equipped with the foundational skills necessary for long-term career success.

To learn more about youth employment opportunities, visit dew.sc.gov/youthemployment. To explore career pathways and workforce resources, visit findyourfuture.sc.gov.

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.

In this episode, DEW Executive Director William Floyd sits down with Rebecca Battle-Bryant, the inaugural Director of the Office of Statewide Workforce Development (OSWD). The conversation explores Rebecca's professional background, the mission of the OSWD, and explains how the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development (CCWD) works alongside the OSWD to impact South Carolina's workforce. Through conversations with the public, collaboration with CCWD members, and enhancements to the Find Your Future Website, which serves as the bridge to the Find Your Future Portal, the OSWD and CCWD are working together to strengthen and sustain South Carolina's workforce.

For additional information about career pathways, workforce programs, and employment resources across South Carolina, please visit https://findyourfuture.sc.gov

Connect with Find Your Future SC on social media for updates, resources, and workforce initiatives:

Instagram: @fyf_sc
Twitter: @FYFSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindYourFutureSC/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/find-your-future-sc/
YouTube: @findyourfuturesc

Follow along to stay informed about opportunities supporting South Carolina’s current and future workforce.