SC@Work: Rural Connections events are a continuation of our SC@Work: Road Trips last year. The road trips were small job fairs and community events in the most rural pockets of our great state. Those job fairs took place in 2023 at 24 different locations across 17 counties, with over 700 jobseekers in attendance and 600 follow-up interviews. Now it's time for phase two of our rural initiative: Rural Connections! These job fairs aim to be more frequent, bigger, and better!

SC@Work: Rural Connections events are targeting jobseekers with barriers to employment, such as transportation, which prevent them from accessing regional workforce development services. These events can include festivals and community events. For instance, a jobseeker can attend this event and network directly with employers, submit applications and work on their resume in DEW’s Career Coach, talk to community providers, and more. Instead of people in rural communities having to commute for 40 minutes to a job fair, we are bringing the job fairs right to their backdoor!

The state-of-the-art Career Coach mobile unit will be present at certain events, which is a traveling SC Works center that is wheelchair accessible, has 10 workstations for job-seeking activities, provides wi-fi and printer capabilities, and has staff available to assist users. It is an extension of the services provided through SC Works Centers across the state. SC@Work: Rural Connections is part of an ongoing rural initiative to make DEW and SC Works services accessible to jobseekers in rural and underserved areas.

Attend upcoming Rural Connections events in your area!

Date	Time	Event	Place	Address
Monday, June 23, 2025	10AM - 1PM	Lee County Community Event	Mt. Calvary Baptist Church	714 Camden Hwy., Bishopville, SC 29010
Tuesday, June 24, 2025	1PM - 4PM	Hiring and Resource Event	The Woodruff Leisure Center	550 Cavins Rd., Woodruff, SC 29388
Wednesday, June 25, 2025	10AM - 12PM	Become CPR Certified	Paul Dennis Community Center	123 N Main St., McCormick, SC 29835
Thursday, June 26, 2025	9AM - 1PM	Hiring Event and Community Resources	Walterboro Career Opportunity Center	1112 Robertson Blvd., Walterboro, SC 29488
Friday, June 27, 2025	5:30PM	Ribbon Cutting Ceremony	Palmetto Innovation and Technology Center	4 Carver St. Extension, Due West, SC 29639
Saturday, June 28, 2025	9AM - 12PM	Community Health Fair	Lovely Hill Baptist Convention Center	5905 West Jim Bilton Blvd., St. George, SC 29427
Saturday, June 28, 2025	9 AM - 1 PM	AG + ART Tour	Allendale Farmer's Market	5789 Allendale-Fairfax Hwy, Allendale, SC 29810
Monday, June 30, 2025	1PM - 4PM	Community Event	McCormick County Library	201 Railroad Ave., McCormick, SC 29835
Wednesday, July 9, 2025	11AM - 2PM	Expungement Clinic & Learning Event	Hampton Municipal Court	608 1st St. W, Hampton, SC 29924
Friday, July 11, 2025	10AM - 1PM	South Carolina Peach Festival	Cherokee County Administration Building	110 Railroad Ave., Gaffney, SC 29340
Monday, July 21, 2025	1:30PM - 2PM	Virtual Hiring Event	Virtual	Virtual
Wednesday, July 23, 2025	10AM - 12PM	Laurens Job Fair	Laurens County Library	1017 W Main St., Laurens, SC 29835
Thursday, July 24, 2025	5PM - 7PM	Back to School Bash	Cottageville Community Center	977 Pierce Rd., Cottageville, SC 29435
Friday, July 25, 2025	5PM - 7PM	Back to School Bash	Springtown Community Center	8824 Augusta Hwy, Smoaks, SC 29481
Saturday, July 26, 2025	8AM - 12PM	Agriculture and Wellness Fair	Union County Farmers Market	511 E Main St., Union, SC 29379
Saturday, July 26, 2025	5PM - 7PM	Back to School Bash	Moselle Church of God of Prophecy	5548 Moselle Rd., Islandton, SC
Thursday, July 31, 2025	10AM - 12:30PM	Job and Resource Fair	Abbeville County Library	1407 N Main St., Abbeville, SC 29620
Tuesday, August 5, 2025	5:30	National Night Out Celebration and Back-to-School Bash	Lake Warren	1079 Lake Warren Rd., Hampton, SC 29924
Friday, August 8, 2025	11AM - 2PM	Darlington Job Fair	Pine Recreation Center	310 Jessamine St., Darlington, SC 29532
January - August (See flyer for dates)	10AM - 1PM	Federal Bonding Workshop	Palmetto Goodwill	2754 Agnes Lane, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
Every First Monday (11/24 - 12/25)	10 AM - 1 PM	Mullins Public Library	Resume Workshop	210 N. Main St., Mullins, SC 29574
Every Third Wednesday	9 AM - 12 PM	Community and Homeless Resource Hub	Darlington Motel	600 Pearl St., Darlington, SC 29532
Every Third Friday	11AM - 2PM	Lending a Hand Information Sessions	Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach	1411 MR Joe White Ave., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

SC@Work Trip Flyers

Want to spread the word about upcoming SC@Work: Rural Connections? Click on the below options to download event flyers for upcoming trips!

June 23 - Bishopville Flyer
June 24 - Woodruff Flyer
June 25 - McCormick Flyer
June 28 - Allendale Flyer
June 20-21 - Hampton Flyer
June 25 - Blackville Flyer
June 26 - Walterboro Flyer
June 27 - Abbeville Flyer
June 28 - Dorchester Flyer
June 30 - McCormick Flyer
July 9 - Hampton Flyer
July 11 - Cherokee Flyer
July 21 - Virtual Event Flyer
July 23 - Laurens Flyer
July 24 - Colleton Flyer
July 25 - Colleton Flyer
July 26 - Union Flyer
July 26 - Colleton Flyer
July 31 - Abbeville Flyer
August 5 - Hampton Flyer
August 8 - Darlington Flyer
January - August (select dates) - Horry Flyer
Every First Monday - Mullins Flyer
Every Third Wednesday - Darlington Flyer
Every Third Friday - Myrtle Beach Flyer

List of South Carolina Rural Connections Tiers

2023		2024		2025
TIER IV	TIER III	TIER IV	TIER III	TIER IV	TIER III
Allendale	Abbeville	Abbeville	Calhoun	Abbeville	Chester
Bamberg	Chesterfield	Allendale	Chester	Allendale	Chesterfield
Barnwell	Clarendon	Bamberg	Clarendon	Bamberg	Clarendon
Cherokee	Colleton	Barnwell	Colleton	Barnwell	Colleton
Chester	Darlington	Cherokee	Darlington	Cherokee	Darlington
Dillon	Fairfield	Chesterfield	Fairfield	Dillon	Fairfield
Lee	Greenwood	Dillon	Greenwood	Lee	Greenwood
Marion	Horry	Lee	Hampton	Marion	Hampton
Marlboro	Jasper	Marion	Horry	Marlboro	Horry
Orangeburg	Laurens	Marlboro	Laurens	Orangeburg	Laurens
Union	McCormick	Orangeburg	McCormick	Union	McCormick
Williamsburg	Sumter	Union	Sumter	Williamsburg	Sumter
		Williamsburg