COLUMBIA, S.C. — Governor Henry McMaster was joined by South Carolina Department of Administration (Admin) Executive Director Marcia Adams and South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs (SCDVA) Secretary William Grimsley today to announce the Veterans Virtual Career Fair happening May 4, 2021.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual average in 2020 for the number of unemployed veterans in South Carolina was 10,000. This virtual career fair will provide those looking to serve in a different capacity, the chance to explore career opportunities with over 30 state agencies and higher education institutions.

“South Carolina is a state with a proud military tradition,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. “We value our men and women who have served, and we want them to know that they can continue that great tradition of service with a career in state government. I applaud Executive Director Adams and Secretary Grimsley for their agencies’ important collaboration on this effort.”

“There is no higher calling than to serve others, and nobody knows that better than our state’s veterans,” said Admin Executive Director Marcia Adams. “Our state agencies strive to provide efficient and effective services to all South Carolinians. The Veterans Virtual Career Fair will connect agencies with veterans who can help further that mission with their high-level skills developed in the military.”

“Hiring initiatives like this one are great opportunities for veterans, but they are equally great opportunities for employers looking for men and women with a deep personal commitment to being a trusted team member, a rare breadth of experiences, a proven ability to operate effectively in very stressful situations, and a preference for working within diverse teams," said. Sec. William Grimsley. "The smartest companies do not hire veterans in order to do veterans a favor; they hire veterans to do themselves a favor.”

Registration for the Veterans Virtual Career Fair, which will run from 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Tuesday, May 4, 2021, is now open. Veterans can register by visiting https://portal.premiervirtual.com/event/register-jobseeker/4958-state-south-carolina-veteran-career-fair.

Each agency will have virtual booths where job seekers can take part in a video chat or set a time to talk directly with a human resources representative about available openings. Participating agencies include:

• South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy
• South Carolina Department of Administration
• South Carolina Department of Agriculture
• South Carolina Department of Corrections
• South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs
• South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
• South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
• South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice
• South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
• South Carolina Department of Mental Health
• South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon
• South Carolina Department of Public Safety
• South Carolina Department of Revenue
• South Carolina Department of Social Services
• South Carolina Department of Transportation
• South Carolina ETV
• South Carolina First Steps
• South Carolina Office of the Attorney General
• South Carolina Office of the Inspector General
• South Carolina Office of the State Auditor
• South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority
• State Law Enforcement Division
• Aiken Technical College
• Central Carolina Technical College
• Clemson University
• College of Charleston
• Greenville Technical College
• Midlands Technical College
• Piedmont Technical College
• Spartanburg Community College
• The Citadel
• The Medical University of South Carolina

Also joining Gov. McMaster during the announcement were veterans currently working in state government and HR professionals who served on the Veterans Preference Workgroup, which is developing initiatives to recruit qualified veterans to state government, including revamping the state’s veterans’ preference and planning this virtual career fair.

The workgroup members represent Admin, Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, DHEC, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles and SCDVA.

Since Jan. 1, 2021, the percentage of veterans who applied to a state agency and were hired has increased from 5.2 percent to 12 percent.

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