Lieutenant Governor Evette visits Lowcountry discussing youth employment

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCBD) — South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette spent Wednesday in the Lowcountry discussing youth employment.

Evette was at Chick-fil-A in Goose Creek, learning about the restaurant’s business practices and the skills younger employees are developing by working there.

Several employees discussed with News 2 some of the skills they are utilizing on a daily basis at the Chick-fil-A.

“So discipline, that’s one of the big things for me,” said Taylor Pennington, team member and trainer. “Being a full-time student, I have to discipline myself. Doing schoolwork and then coming to work and being able to serve those guests.”

Another team member discussed the reassurance they get from having a team to count on.

“Just being able to step back no matter how busy and no matter how stressed I am,” said Harrison Livingston. “Knowing that I have a great team to rely on and support me in any way I can. It’s really reassuring.”

Evette toured the location for about an hour Wednesday afternoon, where 30 to 50 employees, many of them young people, work daily.

William Floyd, the Executive Director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, joined Evette for a press conference at the North Charleston Coliseum earlier in the day. The pair announced a n online data website that shows jobs available for youth in the state.

“We connect people with work and work with people, especially included our youth,” Floyd said. “Some youth are looking for part-time jobs because they haven’t graduated yet. There’s a great opportunity to do that through the lieutenant governor’s website that she initiated.”

Teenagers can search for jobs based on their zip code and discover job opportunities available near them.

“How do we help, first of all, small businesses by getting kids working? And then a message to parents,” Evette said. “Parents, we need to get your kids off the couch. If you kick them out of the house to get them a job when they’re young, that is something that will be a runway of success for them forever.”

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