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
Tuesday, February 18, 2025	7:30AM - 9AM	Small Business Resource Roundtable	Palmetto Electric Cooperative Community Room	1 Cooperative Way, Hardeeville, SC 29927
Tuesday, February 18, 2025	10AM - 12PM	Head Start Parent Workshop	Lowcountry Community Action Agency	768 1st St., Estill, SC 29918
Wednesday, February 19, 2025	9AM - 3PM	Dress for Success Workshop	Hampton County High School	115 Airport Rd., Varnville, SC 29944
Wednesday, February 19, 2025	10AM - 1:30PM	Marion High School Career Fair	Marion High School	1205 S. Main St., Marion SC, 29571
Friday, February 21, 2025	11:30AM	Brunch and Learn	Beaufort Art Education	1300 King St., Beaufort, SC 29902
Thursday, February 27, 2025	10AM - 11AM	Information Session	Chesnee Library	100 State Rd., Chesnee SC, 29323
Thursday, February 27, 2025	1PM - 4PM	Hiring Event and Info Session!	NETC Pageland Campus	815 S. Pearl St., Pageland, SC 29728
Friday, March 7, 2025	8:30AM - 11:30PM	Varnville Career Day	North District Middle School	507 Tillman Ave., Varnville, SC 29944
Thursday, March 13, 2025	9AM - 1PM	Career Fair Run for Recovery!	Hampton County High School	115 Airport Rd., Varnville, SC 29944
Wednesday, March 19, 2025	9AM	Career Fair	Hardeeville Junior & Senior High School	150 Hurricane Alley, Hardeeville, SC 29927
Thursday, March 20, 2025	9AM - 10AM	Career Day	Colleton Academy	500 Forest Circle Dr., Walterboro, SC 29488
Wednesday, March 26, 2025	12PM - 2PM	Lunch and Learn SC Works Workshop	Myrtle Beach Adult Education Center	3301 N. Oak St., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Saturday, June 28, 2025	9AM - 12PM	Community Health Fair	Lovely Hill Baptist Convention Center	5905 West Jim Bilton Blvd., St. George, SC 29427
January - August (See flyer for dates)	10AM - 1PM	Federal Bonding Workshop	Palmetto Goodwill	2754 Agnes Lane, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
Every 1st Monday (11/24 - 12/24)	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 County DSS	300 Russell St., Darlington, SC 29532

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!

February 12 - Cherokee Flyer
February 18 - Beaufort Flyer
February 18 - Hampton Flyer
February 19 - Varnville Flyer
February 19 - Marion Flyer
February 21 - Beaufort Flyer
February 27 - Chesnee Flyer
February 27 - Chesterfield Flyer
March 7 - Hampton Flyer
March 13 - Varnville Flyer
March 19 - Jasper Flyer
March 20 - Walterboro Flyer
March 26 - Horry Flyer
June 25 - Blackville Flyer
June 28 - Dorchester Flyer
January - August (select dates) - Horry Flyer
Every Third Wednesday - Darlington 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