The Spartanburg County work-based learning initiative launched in 2024 will have formal branding going forward, OneSpartanburg Inc. announced April 22.
The EDGE initiative is part of OneSpartanburg’s ongoing efforts to increase Spartanburg County’s talent pipeline and specifically focuses on giving high school students practical, real world work experience with some of the county’s leading employers.
The program’s name references the competitive advantage such employment can give as students develop educational and career goals prior to graduation.
Launched in the summer of 2024, EDGE obtained commitments from county employers to create 203 paid internship and apprenticeship positions for high school students. The number of positions increased to more than 500 in 2025 and is expected to top 600 this year.
“EDGE brings together all the work we’ve done so far under one, easy-to-identify heading,” said Ron Garner, OneSpartanburg Inc.’s chief talent officer, in a statement announcing the new branding. “As of today, finding your ‘edge’ in the workforce has never been easier across Spartanburg.”
Internships and other work-based learning opportunities can give students an advantage in terms of starting salary and the number of job offers they receive, said Taylor Dement, OneSpartanburg’s vice president for talent strategy.
“Internships are critical experiences for students…but they also offer a tactical recruitment pipeline for both private- and public-sector employers with longer employee retention rates — hence the name ‘EDGE,’” Dement said.
For more information, visit onespartanburginc.com/internships.
