Southeastern Community College held its ACCESS Apprenticeship Open House Wednesday to showcase the growing programs emphasizing skilled trades offered by the college.
The ACCESS Apprenticeships program is a unique pathway to careers that matter, made possible through the partnership between Southeastern Community College, Columbus County Schools, and Whiteville City Schools. ACCESS empowers students to explore and enter the workforce through hands-on experiences, including job shadowing, internships, pre-apprenticeships, and apprenticeships—all tailored to help you gain real skills for real success.
An apprenticeship through ACCESS is more than just learning on the job; it’s a structured program that blends classroom instruction with valuable on-the-job training. Students earn nationally recognized credentials while gaining critical skills directly from industry professionals. Employers in turn develop a skilled, dedicated team and close skill gaps essential to today’s evolving workplace.
“Our goal at SCC is to connect students and employers, supporting both to create a thriving workforce,” the college said in a press release. “Today’s apprenticeships go far beyond traditional trades and are thriving in diverse industries across North Carolina and beyond. Through ACCESS, students are gaining both education and experience, bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world. With ACCESS, we’re investing in the future of Columbus County by preparing a generation of students ready to succeed and thrive in the careers that drive our local economy forward.”
ACCESS is a partnership with Columbus County Schools and Whiteville City Schools. More than 230 student from Whiteville, North Whiteville Academy, East, West, South, Columbus Career and College Academy, Thomas Academy, and Columbus Christian Academy attended.
More than 35 local businesses were represented as well as representatives from the N.C. Community College System Office and ApprenticeshipNC.
Close to 400 people attended the event.
“It’s great to have so many students with us,” said Whiteville City Schools Superintendent Jonathan Williams.
Students also received gifts appropriate to their new pathways. For example, the construction program received brand-new five-gallon buckets from Lowe’s Home Improvement. The buckets were loaded with tools and other supplies that would be required in their potential fields.
The ACCESS Apprenticeship Open House was part of the college’s National Apprenticeship Week activities, which celebrates the school’s partnership with Columbus County Schools, Whiteville City Schools, and the Columbus County Commissioners to build a “pipeline” of youth apprenticeships to expand the county’s labor-ready skilled workforce.
“We also thank the Columbus County Commissioners for declaring this week National Apprenticeship Week in Columbus County,” said college spokeswoman Kaylie Simmons. For more about Apprentice Week, go to https://sccnc.edu/news/county-commissioners-declare-nov-17-23-as-national-apprenticeship-week/
“We are excited to let the community know how their county is coming together to support the economic growth to make Columbus County a thriving place to live, work, and play,” Simmons said.
