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Amanda Lucas is an Apprenticeship Consultant for Apprenticeship Carolina™ and serves companies within the counties of the Midlands, York and Central Carolina Technical College service areas.
Prior to joining Apprenticeship Carolina™, Amanda worked with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW) where her responsibilities included providing support for state and federally funded programs and serving as a liaison between local workforce development areas and state level workforce staff. She was also responsible for the creation of SCDEW youth-focused initiatives across the state and was a member of the Transition Alliance of South Carolina and South Carolina Disability Employment Coalition, in addition to advising the Priority Population Committee of the State Workforce Development Board.
A member of the South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association, Amanda is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in Early Childhood Development. Amanda resides in Columbia with her husband, Chase and three children – Stella, Paxton and Lake.
What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Resilient, Attentive, Passionate
What is your job title? Please tell us about your job.
I serve as an Apprenticeship Consultant. I work with SC business and industry to assist in the development and registration of formalized apprenticeship programs. The unemployment rate for SC is at a historic low. While this is great for our economy, it creates challenges for our existing business and industry and the companies looking to locate to SC. The implementation of a Registered Apprenticeship program assists companies with recruiting and retaining talent as well as succession planning to ensure their sustainability. In other words, companies have the ability to grown their own workforce.
What is something that you love about your job?
As an apprenticeship consultant I have the ability to connect with and serve so many of the great businesses in South Carolina. One of my favorite things about this job is to hear from both the company representatives with apprenticeship programs and the apprentices. The company perspectives about their story, how the business was started, what they make or what service they provide and how they continue to grow their footprint in our state. There is so much pride in their stories, it really is amazing to learn about what our SC businesses make and how they impact the global economy. The other factor that continues to fuel my passion for apprenticeship is to hear from the apprentices whose lives have changed because of an opportunity to be in an apprenticeship. Whether the an apprentice was recruited into an entry level apprenticeship, or they changed their career later in life or they took an internal apprenticeship opportunity to move into a leadership role within their company, I love to see how the work that AC does, truly impacts the quality of life for our citizens in South Carolina.
What drew you to apprenticeship?
In my previous positions with the Department of Employment and Workforce, I learned about apprenticeship as a successful “learn while you earn” model that benefited both the company and the apprentices. It seemed like a no-brainer for me to connect with AC and determine if their was an opportunity for our organizations to partner. Once I learned about Apprenticeship Carolina, I actually reached out to a Youth Apprenticeship Consultant to see how our organizations could partner to promote Youth Apprenticeship as a strategy for youth with barriers to employment.
