SC DEW, USC Salkehatchie Open Workforce Connection Points in Allendale, Walterboro

The SC Department of Employment and Workforce opened two new Connection Points on Friday in partnership with USC Salkehatchie, placing free computer-lab workforce hubs directly on the college's West Campus in Allendale and East Campus in Walterboro. The expansion puts unemployment insurance filing and SC Works job-search services within walking distance for residents of one of South Carolina's most persistently underserved rural communities.

Allendale County counted 167 unemployed residents as recently as September 2025, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, in a county that has ranked among the state's most economically challenged for decades. The new Connection Points offer those residents no-cost access to DEW's MyBenefits claimant portal for filing and managing unemployment insurance claims, the SC Works Online Services platform for uploading resumes and browsing thousands of statewide job listings, and educational materials on navigating available workforce programs. All services are free and open to students, alumni, and the broader community.

Connection Points are computer labs maintained through DEW partnerships with libraries, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and now college campuses. The statewide network has grown beyond 150 locations covering all 46 South Carolina counties. DEW trains on-site staff in the basics of both the SC Works platform and the unemployment insurance portal and restocks materials at each location regularly, meaning the labs function as staffed resource points rather than simply unattended computer terminals.

The USC Salkehatchie West Campus sits at 465 James Brandt Blvd. in Allendale; the East Campus is at 807 Hampton St. in Walterboro. Both campuses now host Connection Points accessible during regular campus hours. State and college leaders marked the launch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday.

The on-campus siting matters practically in a county where distance routinely determines whether a resident seeks out a service or goes without. USC Salkehatchie's more than 1,100 enrolled students gain an on-campus resource for career and reemployment services, while the surrounding community gains a foothold in the state's workforce system without the commute that has historically been the price of access. For Allendale County, where that cost has often been prohibitive, the addition represents a concrete reduction in the friction that separates rural jobseekers from the state services designed to help them.