SC partners with US Army on job placement program

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Soldiers serving in the U.S. Army in South Carolina will have new tools available to them to aid their transition into the workforce upon leaving the military thanks to the state’s new partnership with the Army’s Partnership for Your Success program.

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster met with officials at Fort Jackson on Wednesday for a signing ceremony officially putting the partnership into action.

“Our men and women in uniform have a real determination to make things better for the state of South Carolina and the country, and there is probably no where on earth where a former soldier would be more welcome to join the workforce than here in South Carolina,” McMaster said.

The PaYS program is designed to help soldiers prepare for careers after the Army by connecting them with employers who want to hire veterans and who offer jobs that might fit well with the skills they acquired during their service. Both companies and public sector agencies participate in the program.

Soldiers begin developing relationships with employers they are interested in during their enlistment process, and then are granted an interview at the company of their choice once they leave service, according to information provided by the U.S. Army. Participants are not guaranteed employment, but the program is meant to be a way to help them begin the process of entering the workforce.

Participation in PaYS is available to regular Army soldiers, members of the Reserve and National Guard, and ROTC cadets.

Since PaYs officially started in 2000, more than 500 companies nationwide have participated.