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Trident Technical College, Charleston Area Urban League, and Bank of America Partner to Celebrate National Apprenticeship Week and Expand Apprenticeship Programs

November 16, 2022 by 0 Comments
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$55,000 from Bank of America will support Charleston regional youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship pipeline programs for local students

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor is celebrating its 8th annual National Apprenticeship Week, November 14-18, and highlighting several key themes throughout the week, including Pre-Apprenticeship and Youth Apprenticeship on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. Trident Technical College is participating in the celebration by co-hosting a webinar called “Collaborate, Don’t Compete: Developing High-Quality RTI for Youth Apprenticeships” with Berkeley County School District. The webinar is aimed at providing best practices for institutions throughout the United States that want to implement or improve their own youth apprenticeship programs. 

“Youth apprenticeship programs have power, the power to change lives in remarkable ways and the power to accelerate our economy and build strong communities,” Trident Technical College President Dr. Mary Thornley said. “Trident Technical College and our partners in the Charleston, SC region have seen tremendous successes as a result of our collective commitment to building and providing these high-quality educational opportunities for youth. As a USDOL Apprenticeship Ambassador, we are passionately committed to expanding these opportunities within our community, to sharing this vision with others, and to promoting and supporting the development of youth apprenticeship programs in other communities across the nation.” 

Since its creation in 2014, local employer partners in the Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships (CRYA) have hired 535 youth apprentices. In 2022 90 CRYA apprentices were hired by Charleston area businesses. Beginning with 13 youth apprentices spread across six employer partners in a single career training pathway in 2014, CRYA now works with more than 180 employer partners to offer 18 separate career training pathways. The rigorous two-year program typically sees significantly higher completion rates compared to traditional students enrolled in the same certificate programs at Trident Technical College. 

Trident Technical College and Charleston Area Urban League have partnered to expand participation in youth apprenticeships, especially among minority and historically underserved students. Charleston Area Urban League’s youth employment and pre-apprenticeship programs complement those of Trident Tech and other technical colleges across South Carolina by educating high school students about the opportunities that apprenticeships can offer and building a pipeline of strong candidates for apprenticeships.  

“The Urban League aims to help historically underserved students to achieve a higher quality of life and earning power to more productively compete in the economic mainstream as qualified employees through apprenticeships,” said Charleston Area Urban League President and CEO Otha Meadows. “With support from partners like Bank of America and our collaborative efforts with Trident Technical College – and the entire South Carolina technical college system, we increase our collective impact as we work toward a common goal of creating economic opportunities for area youth.”  

The coordinated efforts of the Charleston Area Urban League and Trident Technical College are aligned with those of Bank of America’s support of youth employment and workforce development programs in local communities. To further the impact of the apprenticeship programs building and maintaining a youth employment pipeline, the bank has awarded $30,000 in grant support of Trident Technical College’s expansion of youth apprenticeship programs and pathways. The bank also awarded Charleston Area Urban League $25,000 for student education and recruitments as part of the pre-apprenticeship program. 

“Bank of America is committed to investing in organizations like Trident Technical College and Charleston Area Urban League that are joining the bank’s efforts to advance racial equality and economic opportunity,” said Mark Munn, President of Bank of America Charleston / Hilton Head. “Supporting youth employment and workforce development programs like apprenticeships is just one way the bank helps build job skills and create opportunities to help people succeed in today’s and tomorrow’s economy.” 

National Apprenticeship Week is a nationwide effort by industry, labor, equity, workforce, education, and government leaders showcasing the successes and value of Registered Apprenticeship for re-building our economy, advancing racial and gender equity, and supporting underserved communities. 

Business - Lifestyle - Lowcountry

New Surf Shop opening in downtown Charleston – Quiet Storm Surf Shop

November 13, 2022 by 0 Comments
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The location formally occupied by The Loft will soon be reopening as the brand new Quiet Storm Surf Shop.

267 King Street will now be a haven for beach vibes and ocean lovers.

Quiet Storm has been in business since 1984 providing affordable clothing, boards, accessories and more and are excited to be part of the King Street shopping experience.

Official website

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Business - Lifestyle

City of Hanahan, SC Seeking Public Input on Comprehensive Plan Update

November 8, 2022 by 0 Comments
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CITIZENS INVITED TO ATTEND UPCOMING OPEN HOUSE, COMMENT ONLINE

HANAHAN, S.C. – The City of Hanahan today announced a series of upcoming opportunities for citizens to weigh in on its Draft Comprehensive Plan, ‘Hanahan 2040: Pathway to the Future.’ 

Citizens are invited to attend an Open House event to review the plan in its current form and provide feedback from 5 to 8 PM on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at the City Gym, located at 1253 Yeamans Hall Road. Residents can also review and comment on the draft plan online at bcdcog.com/hanahancomp between November 4 and November 30, 2022. 

The plan, developed by the city’s Planning Commission in collaboration with the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG), lays out a framework of shared goals for the city, which were developed through a number of public information sessions held late last year and several public Commission workshops. 

The framework includes the following goals:

  • Ensuring residents have access to a variety of recreational amenities, including a network of biking and walking trails, entertainment, public parks, gardens and the waterfront
  • Creating a “bustling” town center that offers opportunities for social interactions and community connections
  • Protecting the community’s ‘small town’ character, maintaining a high quality of life for its residents
  • Preserving existing cultural and natural resources, and prioritizing redevelopment efforts and infill opportunities over development of new or natural areas
  • Enhancing the quality and range of public services offered to residents
  • Promoting responsible and sustainable growth management practices while encouraging housing options that are financially attainable for all households

“Meaningful community engagement is critical to any public planning process,” said Hanahan Mayor Christie Rainwater. “We’re grateful to all the citizens who have taken the time to help guide the comprehensive plan’s development so far, and we hope folks will join us for this final step as we work together to shape the future of our great city.”

The plan is set to go before the City of Hanahan Planning Commission on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, and to City Council on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 and Tuesday, January 10, 2023. 

To learn more about ‘Hanahan 2040: Pathway to the Future,’ please visit bcdcog.com/hanahancomp.

Business

Charleston, SC Based EverGlade Consulting Helps Land up to $1 Billion in BARDA Funding for Biotechnology Company

November 8, 2022 by 0 Comments
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CHARLESTON, S.C., Nov. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — EverGlade Consulting (“EverGlade”), a national consulting firm, has helped a leading biotechnology company land an award from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) with a potential $1 billion in federal funding. This multi-year contract will allow the Company to advance the development of a full portfolio of innovative solutions to address influenza and other infectious disease threats.

EverGlade helps companies whose focus is to secure non-dilutive funding from the federal...
EverGlade helps companies whose focus is to secure non-dilutive funding from the federal government.(PRNewswire)

As part of BARDA’s ongoing efforts to prepare and respond to public health emergencies, the agency has initially partnered with the Company for the ongoing and rapid development of an investigational prophylactic monoclonal antibody (mAb) designed to protect against seasonal and pandemic influenza.

“I am thrilled our team was able to contribute to this vital BARDA initiative,” said EverGlade Founder Eric Jia-Sobota. “This award addresses a critical need for preparedness in advance of the next pandemic.”

The BARDA award is an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement which also contains additional options to support the development of up to 10 medical countermeasures for other pathogens of pandemic potential and/or Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear threats.

Andrew Stiles Principal at EverGlade said, “This OTA provides a great deal of flexibility which will allow BARDA and the Company to move quickly and accelerate development of medical countermeasures to rapidly respond to future public health emergencies. It is great to see the government using creative contracting vehicles to bolster our national health security”

About EverGlade Consulting

EverGlade Consulting is a national consulting firm helping clients navigate the federal landscape. We work with technology-driven companies whose focus is to secure non-dilutive funding through the federal government. We offer services ranging from opportunity identification and proposal support through the implementation of systems to comply with federal regulations at agencies including BARDA, ASPR, NIH, DTRA, JPEO, and DARPA.

For additional information about EverGlade Consulting, visit:

https://www.EverGlade.com

Business - Food & Bev - Lifestyle - Lowcountry

Does more people mean a better economy for Charleston, SC? – Commentary

November 5, 2022 by 0 Comments
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By Mark A. Leon

If you never took an economics course in college, you may think the surge in population in the Lowcountry translates to a booming economy, but the recent rash of restaurant closings and staggering growth for other businesses paint a very different picture.

In fact, we may be struggling worse than it appears.  From restaurants to retail to galleries, the financial health of our local businesses may be getting hurt by the growth in the Lowcountry

Here are a few reasons we feel things could get worse before getting better.

  1. Many of the larger, more pronounced brands in Charleston are managed by outside public relations firms who manage press releases, social media and event planning.  For small business owners who cannot afford this outside resource, they are already two steps behind.
  2. Success of small business is so connected to a digital brand presence.  In this day and age, not having a daily reel on Instagram and TikTok could mean the difference between thriving and closing.
  3. Larger hospitality groups are bringing in outside money and clustering restaurants and businesses.  These larger hospitality companies are squeezing market share from their smaller local competitors.
  4. Higher cost of goods and resources along with our taxation that is above national levels (9.5% retail, 10.5% food and 16% alcohol) are forcing local residents to reduce their amount of time out and putting more pressure on tourism to fill the gap.
  5. Charleston has traditionally been a festival heavy culture and has thrilled for so many years with a smaller population.  Now with the surge of people and growth of small artisan businesses, food trucks and artists, there is an over saturation of the market making it harder to gain market share.
  6. Surging rent and housing costs limit discretionary spending.  New residents that pay half a million for a new home or $3000-$4000 a month for rent have to limit their recreational spend.
  7. Our roadway infrastructure coupled with the highest volume of vehicles on the roadways (drivers, contractors, delivery, UBER, Lyft) are curtaining people’s desire to leave their local area to explore new places.

When you take a step back and look at these seven factors along with other underlying issues, we believe more people does not mean a healthier economy.  As you think about Tuesday’s election and beyond, put thought into what you want you home to be and begin to have the right conversations.

Arts & Entertainment - Business - Events - Food & Bev

Savannah vs Charleston – Which One Would You Choose? – New Video by Traveling with Em and Em

November 4, 2022 by 0 Comments
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Savannah, GA versus Charleston, SC – When deciding where to go on vacation these two historic and wonderful southern cities always come up in our conversations! We love visiting both Savannah and Charleston! In this video we go over which city we would choose. Would you choose Savannah or Charleston?