Nutramax Laboratories

Lancaster County, South Carolina is home to an eager workforce that brings a solid work ethic, high productivity, and an appreciation for the value of helping employers succeed. Within 75 miles, you’ll find nearly 2.2 million people who are ready to help your company succeed, including large numbers of workers with manufacturing and professional/technical skills.

Proof of their eagerness to work is the fact that South Carolina, a right-to-work state, has the third-lowest rate of unionization in the nation, at just 3.2 percent. So it comes as no surprise that our state also has America’s third-lowest labor costs. We’re also ranked in the top five for workforce development programs.

That commitment to a solid work ethic begins in our county’s classrooms, which have long had a focus on creating work-ready citizens with the skills employers need. Local educators at all levels have introduced innovative programs like these:

• All elementary schools participate in the "Leader in Me" program based on Stephen R. Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.  The program provides a strong foundation during students’ elementary school experience that can truly become lifelong habits.
• The Lancaster County Youth Leadership program selects the top students from each high school to participate in eight program days, learning about Lancaster County history, government, business and industry, law enforcement, education, and personal leadership techniques beyond what’s taught in traditional classrooms.  The goal is to inspire the students to become leaders within their own communities.
• Microburst EmployABILITY Soft Skill program is used to teach soft skills to students at every high school in the county, with modules that include interpersonal skills, employability skills, conflict resolution, dependability, productivity, and teamwork.
• Palmetto College is an online bachelor’s completion program run by the University of South Carolina.  This system-wide program offers the opportunity to continue studies toward a four-year degree locally, or to return to school and earn bachelor’s degrees online.
• Clemson University, a top twenty public university, is located two hours from Lancaster County. The University of South Carolina, which has the #1 ranked international business program, is just 90 minutes away in Columbia.

You’ll also find recent proof in the countywide program that put a Chromebook in the hands of every student to ensure that they’re adept with technology. High school students have access to STEM and other vocational programs.

The focus on employment skills extends into our local postsecondary provides. Both York Technical College and the Lancaster campus of the University of South Carolina maintain ongoing relationships with local employers to ensure that curriculum matches workplace expectations. York Tech’s faculty members have real-world experience that sharpens their ability to train the next generation of workers in both industrial and engineering technology and in business and IT areas. The schools’ efforts are supported through readySC™, one of the nation’s most enduring workforce development programs, which provides company-specific customized training prior to or during employment.