The Workforce Champion Award was first recognized in 2023 by Governor Henry McMaster, in partnership with the Department of Employment and Workforce (SC DEW), to acknowledge employers who demonstrated extraordinary effort, innovation, and commitment to connecting students and educators to career awareness, exposure, and experiential learning opportunities. As a well-earned recognition awarded in September during Workforce Development Month, this award serves as inspiration for other employers to customize programs to impact and uplift the future workforce.
In prior years, the Workforce Champion Award was nominated by the Regional Workforce Advisors (RWAs), who work hand in hand with businesses across the state. Now, we welcome all businesses in South Carolina to nominate themselves and spotlight their unique initiatives to connect with young people and amplify the workforce!
Nominate Your Business for the 2026 Workforce Champion Award
Does your business help students and educators become aware and explore careers in your respective industry? Is your business actively participating in internships, apprenticeships, and other career-relevant opportunities? Are you actively participating or offering unique initiatives, and are you open and eager to highlight those best practices for other businesses to follow?
If you answer yes to these questions, we encourage you to nominate your business for the 2026 Workforce Champion Award!
Nomination Key Things to Know
- The business selected as the Workforce Champion:
- Must be willing and able to accept the award as part of an official ceremony with Governor McMaster on September 1, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
- Will be featured in a press release published by SC DEW in September during Workforce Development Month.
- Will receive the 2026 Workforce Champion Award & video content featuring the business program and unique initiatives.
- All business nominations will be categorized per region:
- One finalist per region will be identified by the judges and considered for the Workforce Champion Award
- The finalists not selected as the Workforce Champion will be grouped into the eleven regional finalists
- Eleven regional finalists will receive recognition from SC DEW after Workforce Development Month
BMW - 2024 Workforce Champion Award
Michelin - 2025 Workforce Champion Award Video Coming Soon!
2025 Workforce Champion Award Nominees
AnMed | HTC | Honda |
Sanders Brothers
| Thompson Construction Group | York County Natural Gas Authority |
Previous Workforce Champion Awardees
- 2025 Workforce Champion Award - Michelin
Michelin’s facilities in Lexington were specifically recognized because of their commitment to providing hands-on workforce development experiences to high schoolers with their school tours and presentations, the Michelin Scholars Program with Midlands Technical College, internships, early education engagement by sponsoring elementary schools like Red Bank and Saxe Gotha, and other invaluable efforts to support our state’s workforce.“Along with Governor McMaster, it is my privilege as the Executive Director of the Department of Employment and Workforce to present the Workforce Champion Award to Michelin North America, Inc.,” said DEW Executive Director William Floyd. “Michelin is shaping the future of our workforce by directly working with young people as early as elementary school, providing tutors and educational resources at no cost, and creating programs for teenagers to study and work simultaneously with the company. Their partnership with Midlands Technical College is a shining example of why collaboration matters, as public-private partnerships like theirs create remarkable opportunities for teenagers to learn about a manufacturing job while actively doing it.”
Read more about their recognition here!
- 2024 Workforce Champion Award - BMW
BMW was selected as the honoree because of its commitment to providing hands-on experiences to middle and high schoolers in its state-of-the-art facility and its exceptional apprenticeship programs, which are the first of their kind in the state."BMW is the ideal recipient for our agency’s second-ever Workforce Champion Award because they are an employer deeply invested in our students,” concludes Floyd. “We encourage all employers in South Carolina, regardless of size or industry, to follow their lead and help build relationships with students in their local areas. Whether it be a business adopting a local school, offering internships or apprenticeships, or simply participating in job fairs and career days at schools – young people are the future of our workforce and the best, long-term investment an employer can make.”
Read more about their recognition here!
- 2023 Workforce Champion Award - Boeing
Boeing was selected as the honoree because of their exceptional outreach efforts in the state, including their DreamLearners program, which has reached more than 1.2 million educators, students, and community members since 2012. As part of this program, Boeing has hosted hundreds of field trips and student visits to its North Charleston factory, as well as virtual events, with the goal of inspiring young people to develop skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).“It is my privilege, as the Executive Director of DEW, to present the inaugural Workforce Champion Award to The Boeing Company,” said Floyd. “It was Boeing’s long-standing commitment, innovation, and investment in the school-to-work pipeline that made them this year’s winner. Boeing is actively involved in educating our young people about the importance of the aerospace industry and careers in STEM in a way that makes it easily understood and achievable.”
Read more about their recognition here!