April 29, 2026
An On-the-Job Education
At Trident Technical College in North Charleston, S.C., learners can participate in an apprenticeship program that places them with area employers in a range of industries, including criminal justice, culinary arts and automotive care. Apprentices receive pay for their training, along with related classroom instruction at the community college; any costs are covered by the employer or by workforce development organizations. In the latest installment in our five-part series on apprenticeships, which coincides with National Apprenticeship Week, Inside Higher Ed features a photo essay of some of the TTC youth and adult apprentices who are simultaneously learning at work and earning while in school.
Photos by Justin Morrison
Mechatronics apprentices listen to a lecture during a class at Trident Technical College. Mechatronics engineering blends mechanical, electrical and computer systems and powers most “smart” machines, from medical devices to home appliances.
Left: Joshua Harper, in the second year of a two-year apprenticeship, works during the lab portion of a mechatronics class. Right: Lucas Lundstrom, center, also a second-year apprentice, listens to TTC instructor Bradford Hurley during a mechatronics lecture.
Apprentices perform hands-on work and consult their lab book during mechatronics class.
Wesley Kubik, Lucas Lundstrom and Joel Toliver examine wires as they workthrough a problem during a group exercise in a mechatronics lab.
Trident held an apprenticeship information event in North Charleston on Feb. 7 that drew interest from adults as well as high school students, who heard from employees working in certain fields and apprentices currently enrolled in the program.
Azaria Jeffcoat checks paperwork prior to filling a prescription as part of her pharmacy tech apprenticeship at the Medical University of South Carolina pharmacy at Rutledge Tower in Charleston.
Jeffcoat collects a prescription for a patient order. She described her apprenticeship as “fun,” and more challenging than coursework alone because she has to make sure she can apply everything she’s learning on the job.
Corindo Benton, an express technician in the apprenticeship program at Hendrik Toyota in North Charleston, S.C., tops off the fluids in a Toyota truck during an inspection. Benton said he finds the work stressful but enjoys the job environment and his coworkers.
Benton, right, examines a power tool with co-workers at Hendrick Toyota.
Benton circles a Toyota truck, checking the tires for tread wear during the inspection.
Benton walks back to the main shop after parking a truck that he had performed routine maintenance on at Hendrick Toyota.
Cayden McClary, a participant in Trident’s youth apprenticeship program for students under 18, collects a bucket for grating butter as part of the prep work at Laura, an Italian restaurant in Summerville, S.C. He was inspired to pursue a career in cooking after watching cooking shows growing up and attending cooking camps, with his parents’ encouragement. The staff at Laura has been kind and understanding, he said, and the teachers at Trident “help you to do your best.”
Left: McClary, packs breadsticks into a baking tin. Right: McClary portions dough into balls before rolling them into breadsticks.
At Trident’s inaugural Apprenticeship Completion Ceremony, held on April 27 in North Charleston, McClary—who shared his reflections on the program as the event’s student speaker—shakes hands with Mitchell Harp, director of apprenticeships and employee partnerships, after receiving a turquoise cord to represent completion.
Apprentices wait in the audience during the completion ceremony, which was attended by roughly 50 apprentices and their families.
Apprentices “clock out” as they exit the stage at the completion ceremony, marking the end of their Trident apprenticeship but the beginning of their life in the workforce.
