Stories

A quiet, word-of-mouth recommendation of Piedmont Technical College’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) in Laurens has brought 12 students who are completing their training at Azienda Bergamasca Formazione (ABF) ― a regional technical school in picturesque Bergamo, Italy ― to South Carolina for a month of instruction, training, and manufacturing plant tours. Since the CAM opened in 2012, industries in the area have taken notice; many have contracted with Piedmont Tech (PTC) to use its state-of-the-art training facility for their own employees. Brawo USA, which produces high-quality forgings across the interstate from the CAM, is part of a global company headquartered near Bergamo. As word of the CAM’s coveted resources traveled the European grapevine last year, ABF officials contacted PTC, and plans for a visit emerged.

The apprenticeship program that quietly launched in 2016 at Velux in Greenwood has gradually attracted notice, and more employees say they want in. “Our apprentices have all been current employees,” said Brad Setzler, human resources generalist at Velux. “Piedmont Technical College (PTC) provided all the training and materials. PTC coordinated everything, including helping secure the funds through Apprenticeship Carolina.”

Piedmont Technical College’s Automotive Technology program has received its industry’s highest possible endorsement for training quality ― official accreditation from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). NATEF vigorously examines secondary and post-secondary technician training programs to assess how they compare with nationally recognized standards of quality. After conducting its evaluation, NATEF recommended PTC for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification. Departments of education in all 50 states support ASE certification of automotive programs to ensure that training programs meet or exceed industry-recognized standards of excellence.

Prospective students can go from zero to enrolled in a snap during Piedmont Technical College’s “Instant Admission Days.” At these events, counselors are on hand to help students get accepted on the spot and quickly complete the enrollment process for the Fall 2018 semester. Students will leave Instant Admission Day already enrolled and prepared to start classes this fall.

Just three years out of high school, Piedmont Tech graduate Travisia Thompson may be earning upwards of $60,000 a year. Let that sink in for a moment. A proactive maintenance apprentice program among partners Piedmont Technical College (PTC), Laurens County Development Corporation (LCDC), Laurens County School Districts 55 and 56, and ZF Transmissions in Gray Court is making this seemingly pie-in-the-sky opportunity available to qualified Laurens County high school students. That’s right. HIGH SCHOOL.

This spring, the Million Women Mentors SC group held its second annual statewide MWM-SC STEM Symposium at IT-ology in Columbia. MWM-SC has pledged 5,000 mentoring relationship commitments to support moving girls or young women toward STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers. Piedmont Technical College associate vice president for assessment and compliance Dr. Donna Foster serves on the 12-member MWM-SC steering committee.

As Father’s Day approaches, we are reminded of the powerful impact strong male role models can have. For millions of children in the United States who don’t regularly see their fathers, a positive male role model can significantly enrich their lives and improve their prospects for success. It is in this spirit that Piedmont Technical College (PTC) sponsors the MODELS Academy, a holistic mentoring and personal development program specifically designed for African-American boys from sixth grade through high school graduation.

Lucy Wetzel Charping was only about 60 miles from Clemson University but wasn’t sure exactly how to get there. Financially or academically. “I wanted to go into agriculture education at Clemson, but I knew I couldn’t afford to go to Clemson for four years,” Charping says.

When employers come to Piedmont Tech with their workforce wish lists, increasingly they are seeking candidates with very specific skills that can be learned relatively quickly and built upon over time. PTC, in turn, customizes its academic offerings to align with industry needs. Critical to this task is the college’s Quickskills certification options, which teach very specific skill sets in as little as one semester. Graduates of these programs are ready to work in entry-level positions with room for advancement.

Piedmont Technical College Humanities Department Head Jennifer Lopes gave a presentation at the South Carolina State University Division of Academic Affairs Leadership Institute in Savannah, Georgia, on May 23. Her topic, titled “The 21st Century Student and the New Paradigm for Higher Education,” emphasized the importance of “soft skills” such as work ethic and professionalism, listening, promptness, attitude and dependability in the marketability and employability of young people.