During a tour of the MTU Aiken Plant on Friday, S.C. Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman couldn't stop smiling as she talked with a plant apprentice, Nigeria Williams - a recent Aiken County Career Center and South Aiken High School graduate.
MTU, a German-owned subsidiary that manufactures massive diesel engines, started the apprentice program for high school students three years ago.
In 2015, more than 2,500 German-owned companies in the U.S. were invited to nominate a trainee to be honored by the German American Chambers of Commerce. Williams captured the award and traveled to New York to accept it.
As part of the award, Williams will be on the road Saturday - make that air - spending a week in Germany to tour manufacturing plants and meet other high-school aged apprentices working in those facilities.
These kinds of opportunities "embody everything we want to offer to every student in South Carolina," said Spearman, five months into her first term.
"There are so many qualities the apprentices are learning, and what's so unusual is that MTU is willing to share with other companies."
The students are not required to return to MTU after they enroll or choose to work for another plant.
Jeorg Klisch, MTU America's vice president of North American operations, worked with the Career Center and Aiken County School District to introduce the apprentice program.
It's almost unheard of in the United States; MTU is one of two plants in the country that invite high-school students to their facilities.
Three other apprentices joined Williams in participating in the program held for Spearman - graduate Ryan Hutson and rising seniors Ty'Quan Corbitt and Kenneth Lybrand.
Along with Williams, they confidently talked with Spearman about the value of the training and how it has impacted their lives more than they ever expected.
About 12 Career Center students will serve as apprentices in the fall.
"Joerg told me how seriously they take this work," Spearman said. "But it also has helped his own employees in working side by side with these students, sharing their knowledge and getting to know these kids with pride."
Two years ago, Williams wasn't sure she wanted to attend the Career Center. Since then, she has appeared on cable television and in a video produced by The New York Times.
Williams plans to attend Aiken Technical College and then enroll at the University of Georgia to study mechanical engineering.
"They have taught me a good work ethic," Williams said. "They're making it much easier for me to go from high school to work."
Career Center Director William Hudson and Dr. Bob Molkenthin, the CADD instructor, said the apprentices that MTU is producing are doing far more than they realize - they're inspiring other Career Center students in their own classes offered at the Center.
With these Career and Technology Education programs, "My concern is how to make them accessible to all students on a regional basis to provide stronger career opportunities," Spearman said. "Good things are going on in the public schools. We're successful with others still having challenges. But we're educating everybody in the U.S., including those with special needs."
As for the apprentice model, "Students will take it further than you can imagine if we just let them lead ... This is a model program for us to copy."
Senior writer Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education reporter and has been with the newspaper since September 2001.
He is a native of Walterboro and majored in journalism at the University of Georgia.