Chamber Foundation outlines LIFT workforce programs, asks York County to continue $100,000 annual support
March 13, 2026 | York County, South Carolina
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The Chamber Foundation detailed three years of workforce and talent-development work and asked York County to consider continuing an annual $100,000 support to expand the Leadership Institute for Talent (LIFT).
A chamber presenter said the group helped expand the Leader in Me (Franklin Covey) platform to Rock Hill, York and Clover school districts and "helped them secure over $1,000,000 collectively" in funding for the three districts. The presenter highlighted partnerships with Winthrop University, Laurel Institute and local health systems that have produced student placements and direct hires.
"We've actually been instrumental in helping Rock Hill, York and Clover school districts," the presenter said, citing more than 200 students participating early in the program and new revenue and wages tied to enrollments and hires. The chamber reported property-tax receipts from program partners rose from $122,764 (2025) to an expected $173,537 (2026) for one participating entity.
A second chamber speaker described program components under LIFT: EPIC employer challenges that place college students with regional companies, a corporate-core leadership curriculum, a talent concierge to match employers' needs with education providers, and a "World of Work" middle-school immersion tied to regional career clusters. The presenter said the chamber has documented hires tied to clinical placements ("they've actually hired 16 nurses and 7 surgical techs") and estimated annual wages of $1.26 million for those hires.
The presenters said the foundation has secured about $1.1 million in private-sector pledges and "expect to raise $1,500,000 by the end of the year," and asked the county to consider continuing its $100,000 annual contribution so the program can scale beyond early outcomes.
Committee members asked about how employers request talent and whether the chamber's work aligns with existing small-business tools. The presenter said the talent-concierge model links economic development vetting with partners such as technical colleges and ReadySC and that the chamber seeks to complement, not duplicate, existing programs (including the chamber's own small-business toolkit).
Why it matters: The presentation laid out measurable early outcomes (placements, hires, wages and some tax receipts) and a funding request that would extend a county contribution. Committee members asked for further evaluation measures and how the county's investment would be leveraged and tracked.
Next steps: Staff and presenters agreed to provide additional data and a clearer plan for metrics and program evaluation before any formal funding commitment by the council.
A chamber presenter said the group helped expand the Leader in Me (Franklin Covey) platform to Rock Hill, York and Clover school districts and "helped them secure over $1,000,000 collectively" in funding for the three districts. The presenter highlighted partnerships with Winthrop University, Laurel Institute and local health systems that have produced student placements and direct hires.
"We've actually been instrumental in helping Rock Hill, York and Clover school districts," the presenter said, citing more than 200 students participating early in the program and new revenue and wages tied to enrollments and hires. The chamber reported property-tax receipts from program partners rose from $122,764 (2025) to an expected $173,537 (2026) for one participating entity.
A second chamber speaker described program components under LIFT: EPIC employer challenges that place college students with regional companies, a corporate-core leadership curriculum, a talent concierge to match employers' needs with education providers, and a "World of Work" middle-school immersion tied to regional career clusters. The presenter said the chamber has documented hires tied to clinical placements ("they've actually hired 16 nurses and 7 surgical techs") and estimated annual wages of $1.26 million for those hires.
The presenters said the foundation has secured about $1.1 million in private-sector pledges and "expect to raise $1,500,000 by the end of the year," and asked the county to consider continuing its $100,000 annual contribution so the program can scale beyond early outcomes.
Committee members asked about how employers request talent and whether the chamber's work aligns with existing small-business tools. The presenter said the talent-concierge model links economic development vetting with partners such as technical colleges and ReadySC and that the chamber seeks to complement, not duplicate, existing programs (including the chamber's own small-business toolkit).
Why it matters: The presentation laid out measurable early outcomes (placements, hires, wages and some tax receipts) and a funding request that would extend a county contribution. Committee members asked for further evaluation measures and how the county's investment would be leveraged and tracked.
Next steps: Staff and presenters agreed to provide additional data and a clearer plan for metrics and program evaluation before any formal funding commitment by the council.
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