(Photo Courtesy of McLeod Regional Medical Center)
On Tuesday, July 8, a graduation celebration was held at McLeod Regional Medical Center for the McLeod Industrial Maintenance Residency Program.
The Industrial Maintenance Residency Program is a partnership between Harbor Freight Fellows Initiative, Big Picture Learning, and McLeod Health. The goal is to increase support and investment in skilled trades education through apprenticing experiences for youth.
Twenty-three students representing the high schools of Academy for Technology & Academics, Cheraw, Darlington, Hartsville, Hannah Pamplico, J Paul Truluck, Lake City, Manning, Marion, Scott’s Branch, and South Florence spent three weeks as part of the Industrial Maintenance Residency Program on the campuses of McLeod Regional Medical Center, McLeod Health Clarendon, McLeod Health Cheraw, McLeod Health Dillon, McLeod Health Carolina Forest, McLeod Health Loris, and McLeod Health Seacoast.
Demontre Adams, Jakez Brown, Noah Davis, Reginald Davis, Robert Davis, Yante Dozier, Manuel Gomez Espinoza, Dyres Gordon, Jamori Jones, Alexandria Kelley, Colton Ledwich, Grant Leonard, Jacob Lyerly, Summer Mancuso, Juan Carlos Martinez, Damien Maysonet, Robert McGee, William Dallas Moore, Kevyn Nunez, Julian Owens, Jackson Sherard, Ke’laija Thomas, and Torrance Wilson gained hands-on experience trade knowledge in the field of construction, electrical, plumbing, general maintenance, and HVAC.
“Facilities management positions are essential to the operations of a health system,” said Emily Lucero, Vice President of Facilities Management for McLeod Health. “Providing quality patient care depends on properly maintained facilities, which is why their work is so essential to our mission. It is through this partnership that we are able to demonstrate the opportunities available and begin growing the workforce pipeline at the high school level.”
The Industrial Maintenance Residency Program is funded by a $50,000 grant awarded to Big Picture Learning from Power Ed, the philanthropy of SC Student Loan Corporation, to support the expansion of the Industrial Maintenance Residency Program with McLeod Health and to other partners throughout the state. The funds are used to support scholarships for participants and cover the costs of their tools and work clothes.
“The Harbor Freight Fellows Initiative is designed to support those youth for whom a career in the trades industry they believe to be a fulfilling path,” said Charlie Plant, Harbor Freight Fellows National Coordinator. “We hope this experience has opened a whole new world for the students and they now will be better equipped to follow a career path that will be satisfying and right for them.”
The inaugural program was held in 2024 at McLeod Regional Medical Center with eleven participants. Due to an increased interest and demand for the program, it was expanded this year to include the other six campuses of McLeod Health.
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