Hilton Head Island’s Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort celebrates graduation of first culinary youth apprenticeship program candidate
July 27, 2023
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC (July 2023) — In 2021, Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort on Hilton Head Island became the host of the first youth culinary apprentice within the Technical College of the Lowcountry region, including Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton and Colleton counties.
The resort has played an important role as a training ground for apprentices for the youth culinary apprenticeship program, which serves as a workforce development tool for Beaufort County School District students.
Two years later, the first youth apprentice sponsored by Palmetto Dunes — recent Hilton Head High School graduate Edward “Teddy” Thompson — has now become the first apprentice in the Lowcountry to graduate from the program, both for youth and in the culinary cohort.
This Fall, Teddy will be attending Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC to continue his culinary studies, actively pursuing his passion and dedicating himself to developing the essential skills needed for a successful culinary career.
“While Teddy was our first youth apprentice at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, we don’t plan on him being our last,” said Abbey Hightower, Palmetto Dunes Director of Human Resources. “We look forward to developing our youth apprenticeship program through our continued partnership with Apprenticeship Carolina and the Beaufort County School District’s Career & Technical Education team.”
Palmetto Dunes Chief Operating Officer Brad Marra said that as the workforce issue has gotten worse every year around Hilton Head Island, the Lowcountry, and beyond, the youth culinary apprenticeship program has quickly become an essential tool to help turn that around.
“We are excited to celebrate the graduation of the initial sponsorship for our youth culinary apprentice, Teddy Thompson,” Marra said. “This is so important for many reasons, particularly workforce development. Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is proud to be investing in the future.”
Palmetto Dunes was first introduced to Apprenticeship Carolina in February 2020 through a presentation at the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. When the pandemic began and schools went remote, Palmetto Dunes Cultural Ambassador Ellen Lam worked behind the scenes with Apprenticeship Carolina and the BCSD’s CTE team preparing the resort for recruitment when students returned to school.
Thompson interviewed in late May 2021 and he began his apprenticeship program in July 2021. Amanda Richardson, Vice President of Apprenticeship Carolina, said that with a youth apprenticeship program, companies have a remarkable chance to cultivate their workforce pipeline by welcoming talented young individuals who are eager to learn.
“Apprenticeship Carolina and the technical colleges across our state are committed to building South Carolina's skilled workforce with partnerships like this with Palmetto Dunes,” Richardson said.
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