LCHS Students Sign Apprenticeship Agreements

Posted on 02/07/2020

Lake City High School students Matthew Milligan and Seth Evans have signed apprenticeship agreements with Mid-South Metal Specialties in Lake City. Matthew Milligan will also intern at Moore Farms.

Milligan's and Evans's signings marked the beginning of Lake City Career and Technology Center's partnership with the Harbor Freight Fellows Program. This program allows students to complete 120 hours of apprenticing in a trade-related career field.

Milligan and Evans have both completed their welding program requirements at Williamsburg Technical College and the Continuum and will receive their official welding certifications from Williamsburg Technical College this spring.

The Continuum is happy to partner with Florence School District Three's Career and Technology Education department to connect students with employers.

The Harbor Freight Fellows initiative pairs students with a mentor and an advisor at other companies such as Mid-South Metal Specialties.  Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, students will receive a stipend.  Mentors and advisors will also receive payments in recognition of their time and training talents.

This is an excellent opportunity for both of us to get hands-on and real-world work experience," said Milligan.

CTE Director Leon Burgess said this represents a first for Lake City because there is a lot of untapped potential in the trades.

"Employers will tell you that they have a challenging time filling positions with qualified individuals who have a genuine interest and the aptitude required to work in trade-related fields," he said. Burgess emphasized that the Harbor Freight Fellows program seeks to develop and provide students with customized programs of learning and work that include pathways to post-secondary education. When students are paired with good mentors and given "access to communities of practice" related to their talents, everyone benefits, he added.

Moore Farms Botanical Garden and Mid-South Metal Specialties are the first businesses in this area to partner with this initiative.  Mid-South owners Tom Sebnick and Eric Sebnick of have placed themselves on the cutting edge. By partnering with this initiative, this business has created a plan for employee attrition.

"It's important for us to get young people who have an interest in our industry and train them," said Tom Sebnick. "We can't wait for our older employees to retire and then try to find new employees that we can train." Sebnick added the Milligan and Evans would be the fourth and fifth students to be hired by Mid-South.

Early on, Superintendent Laura Hickson recognized the importance of watering the seeds of tomorrow. Through the innovation of partnering with The Continuum and secondary education institutions for the growth and expansion of our students, Florence School District 3 will be able to accomplish our mission of ensuring students are college or career ready.

FSD3 and Lake City High School look forward to providing these opportunities to other students and other employers. ​For more information on how your business can become involved with apprenticeships and student interns, contact Leon Burgess, CTE Administrator, at 843-374-5119.
Image of Tom Sebnick with Seth Evans, Matthew Milligan and Lake City High administrators