Columbia area students can apply for Midlands Youth Apprenticeship Program.

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce is recruiting new participants for the Midlands Youth Apprenticeship Program. In partnership with with Midlands Technical College and Apprenticeship Carolina.

Launched in 2018, MYA is a program designed to help create a talent pipeline for area businesses while creating a viable work-based learning opportunity for students during high school. Participants are registered apprentices who work part-time with local companies while they take classes at their high school and Midlands Tech, according to a news release.

At the end of the two-year program, students will have earned a high school diploma, college credits in a specific field from MTC, a U.S. Department of Labor credential and two years of paid work experience.

"The MYA program teaches invaluable skills to make students competitive in the workplace," said Carl Blackstone, president and CEO of the Columbia Chamber. "Graduates of this program get a two-year head start on their...