News & Events
Hill’s Service Company, Inc. Registers Laurens County’s First Apprenticeship Program
Apprenticeship Carolina™, a division of the SC Technical College System, is pleased to announce that Hill’s Service Company, Inc. has joined the growing number of companies in the state establishing a federally recognized apprenticeship program. Hill’s Service Company, Inc. has been providing heating, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) services in Laurens County for over 40 years.
"We work in a very competitive environment and our employees are what separate us from our competition. We believe that utilizing the apprenticeship model of training will help to instill in our employees our expectations of quality work and customer service," said Robbie Hill, President and Owner.
As the Chairman of the Educational Committee for the South Carolina Heating and Air Conditioning Association, Hill hopes other HVACR companies will consider an apprenticeship program. "My hope is that this progressive training model will be utilized across the HVACR industry. This type of training requires us as an industry to look at the system more holistically. A higher quality employee makes the industry safer, more affordable and ultimately better for the environment," said Hill.
Hill’s Service Company Inc. is the first registered apprenticeship program to be established in Laurens County. An apprenticeship is a time-tested method of employee development that combines supervised on-the-job training with job related education. A program “registered” with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) shows an employer’s visible commitment to developing a high-quality workforce that meets nationally recognized training standards. Registered apprenticeship programs also enable employees to receive incremental wage increases as they demonstrate new competencies throughout the training program. The Hill’s Service Company program entails apprentices being trained on the job by a mentor for 8000 hours (4 years) in HVACR and over 1700 hours of classroom training provided by Piedmont Technical College. Apprentices in the Hill’s Service Company program will earn not only the nationally recognized apprenticeship credential, but also an associate’s degree from Piedmont Technical College. "The collaborative work among Hills Service Company, Piedmont Technical College and Apprenticeship Carolina™ is a wonderful example of how our technical college system is effectively responding to the workforce training needs of our business partners,” says Ann Marie Stieritz, Director of Apprenticeship Carolina™. “We have a vested interest in the growth and success of our South Carolina employers and highly skilled employees are a key component in that business success."
Apprenticeship Carolina™ is a new division of the SC Technical College System that works to ensure all employers in South Carolina have access to the information and technical assistance they need to create demand-driven registered apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship consultants are available to guide companies through the registered apprenticeship development process from initial information to full recognition in the National Registered Apprenticeship System. These services are available to South Carolina employers free of charge. Interested employers can contact Apprenticeship Carolina™ at (803) 896-5287. #
