Dr. Ronnie L. Booth

From the President

News for Your Company from Tri-County Technical College

It Pays to Invest in Tri-County

Tri-County plays a critical role in preparing

students for immediate entry into advanced tech-nical careers in industry and/or to transfer to four-year colleges or universities. We also help industries by training and re-training their existing workforce.

But our value to the community is far great-er than direct services to students

and the manufacturing sector. We also have a significant eco-

nomic impact on the community as a whole—one that can be measured and reported. One that illustrates a significant return on taxpayers’ investment in education.

The results of a recent economic impact study by Economic Modeling Specialists (EMSI) rein-force the return on investment received by our major stakeholder groups - students, society, and taxpayers. The study looks at data from several perspectives - from the point of view of students and how it enhances their lives, the benefits to taxpayers, and contributions to society as a whole through social savings.

Earning a degree, diploma, or certificate benefits the student because it increases his or her earn-ings potential. On average, someone with an as-sociate degree will earn $34,000 at the midpoint of their career, which is $9,200 more per year than someone with only a high school diploma. Associate degree graduates will earn more than $1.5 million over their working lifetime, an increase of greater than $400,000 compared to someone with a high school diploma. For graduates

Bosch Donates $100,000 to College

Executives from the Bosch plant in Ander-son visited the College April 9 to present a $100,000 check for enhancements to the

Mechatronics and Industrial Electronics Technology labs. In return, the College has renamed the labs, Robert Bosch Mechatronics Lab and the Rob-ert Bosch Industrial Electronics Technology Lab, respectively.

John Kuta, senior vice president, technical plant manager of the Bosch Anderson plant, presented Dr. Booth with the grant check. These funds were provided by the Bosch Community Fund, a U. S.-based foundation that awards up to $3 million in grants annually, with emphasis on education in sci-ence, technology, engineering, and math—known as STEM education—and environmental sustainability.

The grant will be used to purchase new and ex-panded equipment for students in the Mechatron-ics and Industrial Electronics Technology programs. Equipment includes sensors, workstations, a robot,

John Kuta, senior vice president, technical plant manager of the Bosch Anderson plant,

Wha

t’s In

side Innovator of the Year 2

Crescent Seniors 3

Skills Shortage 4

Philanthropist of the Year 5

Duke Energy 6

SCMC Training 6

Jeremy Davies 7

Spring 2014

(Continued on page 7)

(Continued on page 8)

Impact is published three times each year by the Office of the President and the Public Relations Department.

Campus Contact InformationP.O. Box 587, Pendleton, SC 29760Pendleton Campus .................864-646-8361Anderson Campus ..................864-260-6700Easley Campus ........................... 864-220-8000Oconee Campus ....................... 864-886-4555Toll-Free (864 area code) ... 1-866-269-5677TDD/Voice ........................... 1-800-735-2905Website .................................... www.tctc.edu

Tri-County Technical College does not discriminate in admission or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, qualifying disability, veteran’s status, or national origin.

2

Phelps Receives Innovator of the Year Award

Paul Phelps’ talent for teaching first-year welding students, as well as employees who are upskilling for today’s work-

place, along with his gift for building partner-ships with area industries, earned him the esteemed A. Wade Martin Innovator of the Year award. Paul, program coordinator for Welding, was singled out among10 State technical college nominees and accepted the award at the 2014 South Carolina Technical Education As-sociation conference in February.

In the eight years that Paul has served as Program Coordinator, our Welding program’s enrollment steadily has increased from 60 to 120 students. In addition to teaching and advising students, he assists local companies with pre-hire assessment, fabrication training, weld testing, quality improvement, and writ-ing procedures.

“Paul Phelps was instrumental in McLaughlin Body Company, Inc., choosing Anderson as the location for our new facility,” said Randy Frederick, general manager of the Anderson company. “We have hired several students thus far from the readySC class and have been very pleased. Paul designed a significant portion of the pre-hire training curriculum and instructed our first pre-hire training class with a great success rate of candidates being hired by the company.”

Dr. Joe Campbell, continuous im-provement manager for Watson Engineering, Inc., said Paul “men-tors, leads, and guides by example through positive and innovative leadership. Paul is able to lead and teach our welders through his exclusive, one-of-a-kind, hands-on approach that enables students and employees to grasp both the textbook and regulatory requirements of the American Welding Society. He also stays on the leading edge of technology in the metal fabrication field and finds innovative solutions to meet our training needs. He has been and continues to be an integral part of the success and growth of Watson Engineering, Inc.” Paul is a 2003 graduate of Tri-County’s Welding program.

For more information, contact Paul Phelps at 646-1405 or pphelps@tctc.edu.

“Paul Phelps was instrumental in McLaughlin Body Company, Inc., choosing Anderson as the location for our new facility.”

~Randy Frederick, general manager of the Anderson company

Paul Phelps

General Engineering Technology (GET) Program Coordinator Dorian McIntire’s proposal to Hi-

Tec for a workshop entitled “STEAMing Ahead with the Arduino for STEM and Art” has been accepted. He and instruc-tor Mandy Orzechowski will conduct the workshop at the July conference in Chicago.

The workshop centers around using an inexpensive, yet powerful, controller known as an Arduino, an Italian name meaning “to teach programming, con-trol and interfacing concepts to middle school, high school, and college students in a fun and engaging manner.” The GET program has used these controllers for several years.

Two to Conduct Workshop

Dorian McIntire and Mandy Orzechowski

3

Crescent Seniors to Receive College Certificates

Justin Parnell will join Tri-County graduates in the spring commencement

lineup this May to receive a college credential – before he graduates from Crescent High School.

He will be ready for the work-force with a certificate in Basic Electronics or can continue his education at Tri-County, which he plans to do. “I’m excited about the credentials I will earn by June. I’ll have a high school diploma, WorkKeys certification, and an Electron-ics certificate from Tri-Coun-ty,” said Justin, who is among the seven Crescent students enrolled in the program.

He’s talking about a new career pathway program designed for Crescent High School students to achieve a Tri-County credential by the time they graduate from high school. Students receive Technical Advanced Placement credit for electricity classes taken in high school; then dually enroll at the Anderson Campus for four Engineering and Industrial Technology classes during their senior year. The program culminates with students receiving a Basic Electronics Certificate by the time they graduate from high school. They also accrue 20-plus hours of college credit towards an associate degree in either Mechatronics or Industrial Electron-ics.

This innovative career pathways model is the first of several being developed with school districts in the College’s service area. These career pathways will provide the employer-defined skills needed in advanced manufacturing, business, and other disciplines.

For more information, contact Amanda Blanton at 646-1507 or ablanton@tctc.edu.

Senior Prepares for Advanced Manufacturing Career

New Career Pathways Coming For All School Districts

The Basic Electronics Certificate for Crescent High is only the beginning. Career pathways have been created for each school district in Ander-son, Oconee, and Pickens counties, most of which will be available Fall

Semester 2014. For example, Oconee County students will be transported to the Industrial Technology Center in Sandy Springs to enroll in HVAC and in 2015, a Mechatronics pathway will be available to them on the Pendleton Campus.

Danielle Queen, a senior at Tamassee-Salem High School, is taking machine tool classes at the Hamilton Career Center and plans to attend Tri-County in preparation for a career in advanced manufacturing. She is pictured with Mike Pearson, director of the Hamilton Career Center.

Danielle Queen, a senior at Tamassee-Salem High School, started off in Biomedical

classes at the Hamilton Career Cen-ter, but failing grades and disinterest led her to a conversation with her guidance counselor.

“After talking with her about my ambitions and what I am good at, which is math, I chose the Machine Tool Technology curriculum. We use algebra and trig and I like it. I thrived in the classes. I was hooked,” she said.

“There’s nothing better than turn-ing raw stock metal into something useful every day,” added Danielle. After graduation, she plans to attend Tri-County and major in CNC. “So far, I’m ahead of the game.”

Justin Parnell, middle, along with six other Crescent High School seniors, will join Tri-County graduates in the spring commencement lineup this May and receive a college credential – before he graduates from Crescent. He is pictured with Dr. Mason Gary, superintendent of Anderson School District 3, and Hannah Arnold, guidance counselor at Crescent.

Team to Present at Automation Conference

Cheryl Garrison, job placement coordinator in Career Services, will join Industrial Electronics

Technology faculty members Shan Smith and Ted Stokes along with Doug Wilson, senior associate development specialist at Bosch, as presenters at the Automa-tion Conference 2014 May 20 – 22 in Chicago, Illinois. The team’s topic will be “Bridging the Skills Gap: Enhancing the Talent Pipeline through Local Technical College Collaboration.”

Herndon Is HVAC Program Coordinator

Justin Herndon joined the

Engineer-ing and Indus-trial Technol-ogy Division this semester as Program Coordinator for Heating Ventilation and Air Condition-ing Technology. He worked as a Maintenance Technician at Erskine College from 2010 – 2013 while teaching adjunct classes for Tri-County since 2010. Justin earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University in 2008.

Area Leaders Tackle Skills Shortage

By the year 2018, two-thirds of all jobs will require

employed individuals to have a postsecondary credential or an associate degree or certificate. But only 29 percent of the population will have one. The demand is outpacing the supply was the mes-sage heard by local busi-ness, industry and educa-tion leaders who gathered to strategize and develop action plans to encourage high school students to choose careers in ad-vanced manufacturing.

The event was hosted by The Clemson Center for Workforce Development, Partnership for Academic and Career Education (PACE), Pendleton Regional Education Center (REC) and Tri-County Technical College. It was funded by the Dream It. Do It. SC initiative of Apprenticeship Carolina.

Today’s advanced manufacturing jobs have one thing in common—the need for competencies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM. Many of these jobs are going unfilled for lack of applicants with this advanced skill set.

“We need to assist more high school stu-dents in seeing the benefits of going into these advanced manufacturing career pathways,” said Dr. Booth. “Capacity is about building more and larger “pipe-lines” into these programs and velocity has to do with getting students through the programs and into the workforce faster.”

“We are looking for skilled people to drive us and take us to the next stage,” said keynote speaker Jack Ellenberg, senior vice president for economic devel-opment and projects for the S.C. Ports Authority. “Twenty years ago compa-nies were looking for low-cost land and incentives. Rarely was labor on the list.

Now it’s ‘where can we get the people to make us successful?” said Ellenberg.

Jeromy Arnett, production administration manager at United Tool and Mold, Inc. in Easley, says apprenticeships—for high school and college students—are a great route to building a sustainable workforce.

“Like most manufacturing companies, we also are facing labor challenges. We need applicants with the right technical skills and experience. We’re all going after the same talent. It used to be an employer’s market. Not now,” he said.

United Tool and Mold is the first in the Upstate and second in the state to have a School to Registered Apprentice-ship. In 2012 the company hired Pickens County high school juniors who work at the plant while they earn credit in high school. After graduating from high school, they enter Tri-County where they earn an associate degree and then enter into the company’s adult apprenticeship program. “The emerging workforce isn’t ages 24 – 29; it’s K – 12,” he said.

For more information, contact Amanda Blanton at 646-1507 or ablanton@tctc.edu.

4

Jeromy Arnett, production administrative manager at United Tool and Mold, Inc., in Easley, was a presenter and told the group that one solution to the company’s workforce needs was to revamp its apprenticeship program. United Tool and Mold is the first in the Upstate and second in the state to have a School to Reg-istered Apprenticeship. He is pictured with Dr. Lee D’Andrea, superintendent of Anderson District 4.

Stackable Credentials Offer Laddered Pathways

Present jobs require you to be adaptable to a changing environment, and Tri-County

is responding by offering stackable credentials for students to obtain industry-recognized certifications and credentials that would lead directly to employment. This model matched with college provides on and off ramps for students who may need to take breaks from their educational goals but need a credential and a certification to gain employment. Welding, along with CNC, is the first associate degree program to reorga-nize the curriculum into manageable components allowing students to complete a specialized certificate that can be stacked upon other credentials leading to an associate degree.

“A 14-week semester just doesn’t work for some,” said Galen DeHay, in-terim provost and assistant vice presi-dent of instruction and institutional effectiveness at Tri-County. Stackable credentials is a national model that offers laddered pathways. Courses are sequenced so certificates build on one another. They are matched with individually-recognized certifications. Career pathways help align courses with business and industry needs, pro-mote completion and build momen-tum and support student transitions. It’s a good example of collaboration between industry, K-12, and Tri-Coun-ty that yields results very quickly. The students and the community benefit, and students are employable.”

For more information, contact Galen DeHay at 646-2037 or gdehay@tctc.edu.

Itron Named Philanthropist of The Year Award

The Tri-County Technical College Foundation named

Itron, Inc., a global technol-ogy company for the utility industry, the 2013 recipient of its Philanthropist of the Year award.

This is the Foundation’s highest and most presti-gious honor reserved for individuals, foundations, companies, trusts, organiza-tions, or other entities that have made a significant fi-nancial contribution, either cash or non-cash, to the Foundation to support the work of the College.

Itron Operations Manager Mike Worley accepted the award. “On behalf of Itron, I’d like to thank the College and the Foundation for this recognition,” Worley said. “Tri-County offers a unique educational opportunity that aligns well with the needs of our busi-ness. At our West Union facility, we build high-tech products that are modernizing the electrical grid and we seek employees with the right mix of technical skills. We employ 36 Tri-County Technical College graduates who play an important role in manufacturing technologies that are shaping the way electricity is delivered,” he said.

The Itron Teaching Chair was created to support the professional development of math-ematics faculty while the Itron Technology Endowment provides support for the College’s technology needs. In addition to establishing these two endowments, Itron has been a sponsor of the Spring Open and Fall Classic golf tournaments.

Itron has given more than $186,000 to the Foundation over the past 25 years, earning the company recognition on the college’s prestigious Wall of Honor.

Itron Operations Manager Mike Worley, third from left, accepted the award, along with Katherine Crouse, marketing manager, left, and Brooke Dobbins, human resources manager, right. Pictured with them is Dr. Booth.

5

The College’s Annual Career Fair is an opportunity for students and soon-to-be graduates who are look-ing for employment to talk about job opportunities with recruiters and managers and to develop a network of career contacts. AFCO was among the businesses/industries participating. Here, Jimmy Cox, technical training coordinator, left, looks over a resume given to him by Caleb Dawkins, of An-derson, right, an Industrial Electronics Technology major. Students beside Caleb are from top, Junior Chupp, of Westminster, an IET major, and Pres-ton Adams, of Easley, a Mechatronics major. The event was sponsored by the Career Services department at the College.

SCMC Training Builds Manufacturing Workforce

The newly revamped South Carolina Manufacturing Certification (SCMC) program is a quick, yet comprehensive training route for individuals seeking to enhance their skills and to secure full-time employment as operators in manufacturing.

The SCMC, formerly Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) training, is a 200-hour curriculum that includes the opportunity to earn eight nationally recognized certifica-tions. Topics include industrial safety, quality, blueprints and measurement, production processes and some basic understanding of industrial equipment and maintenance.

Last year the S.C. Legislature funded the SCMC program by allocating money for each technical college in the state.

Goodwill Industries of the Upstate/Mid-lands funds SCMC training and provides counseling and job placement services for individuals in its program. Tristan Worley, of Westminster, was a participant in Goodwill’s first manufacturing class after being laid off from a local industry. “All 13 of us got job offers before the end of the class,” said Worley, who was hired as a production technician at U.S. Engine Valve in Westminster two weeks before he finished the class taught by Tri-County’s Corporate and Community Education Division instructors.

“We got the best of the best with Tristan and we have big plans for him,” said Mary Ann Craft, human resources manager at U.S. Engine Valve.

“Students earn an OSHA 10-hour safety card, a Six Sigma yellow belt certification, and a national MSSC credential in safety, quality, product system and manufacturing awareness which translates into stackable credentials for college credit,” said Ron Humphries, associate program director for the Center for Workforce Excellence at Tri-County.

“We are building an entry-level manufacturing workforce—folks who have completed this training need to go to the front of the hiring line,” said Susan Pretulak, vice president of economic development and workforce competitiveness for the SC Technical College Sys-tem. It’s a stackable credential with WorkKeys® and SCMC credentials. The WorkKeys® test is free, the training is free. Take a look at these folks when you are hiring,” she said.

For more information about scholarships, contact Ron Humphries at 646-1723 or rhumphri@tctc.edu.

6

A $50,00 grant from Duke Energy Foundation will help give Tri-County welding students a re-al-world advantage. Pictured from left are Dr. Booth; Scott Miller, district manager for Duke Energy; George Acker, S.C. vice president of external relations for Duke Energy; Paul Phelps, welding program coordinator; and W.H. (Ham) Hudson, former chair of Tri-County’s Commission.

Welding Gets$50,000 Grant from Duke Energy Foundation

Our Welding program is getting a boost from the shareholder-funded Duke Energy Foundation

that will help give students a real-world advantage.

The $50,000 grant will enable students to train and learn skills in an accelerated one-year training model that focuses on learning applications used in local industries.

The implementation of an accelerated training program allows students to com-plete welding training in one year versus the current two-year degree model. The accelerated program requires dedi-cated space for this option as students spend more time in labs to achieve this one-year completion, according to Paul Phelps, welding program coordinator.

“This is an opportunity for us to help with the human infrastructure,” said George Acker, S.C. vice president of external relations for Duke Energy. “It’s a perfect example of a good opportunity to invest in the future workforce.”

Tristan Worley, of Westminster, middle, was hired as a Production Technician at U.S. Engine Valve in Westminster and since has been promoted to Maintenance Apprentice. He is pictured with Gayle Jenkins, training coordinator at U.S. Engine Valve, left, and Mary Ann Craft, human resources manager.

and other technology that will allow students a more hands-on learning experience that is comparable to what they would use in industry.

“Bosch values the relation-ship we have with Tri-County because you understand the work we do in this industry,” said Kuta. “You develop the curricula to meet the needs of industry, and as a result, your students are success-ful in the world of work. Most importantly, Tri-County listens to feedback from industry partners, their students, and alumni. It’s rare to find a business relationship that works so well that you are able to finish each other’s sentences and anticipate each other’s needs. This is the kind of relationship that Bosch has with Tri-County Technical College. We have a vision for helping people build careers in these important technical jobs. These jobs are the lifeblood of what we both do. Strong techni-cal talent brings innovation to life. Manufacturing is what helps make our economy and our company go—and grow,” he said.

“Partnerships with industry are essential to Tri-County’s success,” said Dr. Booth. “Our College has long enjoyed a good working relationship with Bosch Anderson. Having our labs associated with a respected, global company like Bosch will serve as a constant re-minder of our shared commitment to education.”

7

Industrial Electronics Technology Program Coordinator Shan Smith, fifth from left, gives Bosch executives a lab tour.

John Kuta, senior vice president, technical plant manager of the Bosch Anderson plant, front right, presented Tri-County President Ronnie L. Booth, front left, with a $100,000 grant check to sup-port the Mechatronics and Industrial Electronics Technology programs with new equipment, more classes and adjunct faculty. Pictured with them are College and Bosch employees and Bosch Scholars.

(Continued from page 1)Bosch… Davies Among

Auto Tech Grads

For the past two years, Jeremy Davies has maintained a hectic schedule, attending automo-

tive technology classes and labs at Tri-County during the day and then moving on to a job at BMW where he puts in an additional 20 hours per week as one of the company’s techni-cal scholars. He maintains a near-perfect 3.95 grade point average, and serves as vice president of Alpha Zeta Beta, Tri-County’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa national honor society.

He holds another distinction that most of today’s college graduates can’t claim. When he walks across the stage May 8 as one

of the College’s first automotive tech-nology graduates, he won’t be saddled with loans. He is graduating debt free, thanks to a Tri-County scholarship, as well as a prestigious Marine Corps Foundation Scholarship he accepted last year.

“This year has been challenging but fulfilling,” said Davies, who was offered a full-time job at BMW after gradua-tion but chose to further his educa-tion and will pursue an automotive engineering technology degree at Ferris State University in Michigan.

His career goal is to work as an engineering technologist and pursue a master’s degree on down the line. “Tri-County has provided me with hands-on and book knowledge that I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else in the Upstate. The degree and the BMW job have complemented each other. I’d love to go back to BMW after graduating from Ferris.”

P.O. Box 587, Highway 76Pendleton, South Carolina 29670

NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDGREENVILLE, SC 29602

PERMIT NO. 263

8

of some programs, such as Mechatronics, General Engineering Technology, Industrial Electronics, and Nursing, the average is much higher.

Specifically, the College’s 2012 - 13 students will receive an aver-age annual rate of return of 15.3 percent on their investment in the College. This rate of return continues through their work-ing lives. On average a student will receive a return of $3.90 in higher future income for every $1 he or she invested in their education. For every credit hour completed, a student sees a $151 increase in annual income.

For every dollar the taxpayers invest in the College, there is an annual return of 7.4 percent on their investment in Tri-County. For every dollar taxpayers invest, they see a $3 return over the students’ working career.

By spending money on education, taxpayers save money through reduced crime, decreased spending on health care, welfare, and unemployment. Statistically, those with improved lifestyles have a reduced demand for government-supported services, which benefits society as a whole.

In terms of its operations, Tri-County is a significant source of economic benefit. The College annually spends more than $27 million in our three counties and is an important source of jobs and revenue for the area.

The College provides value to the community when we produce successful students/graduates. The study quantifies that success-ful students are good for the economy and good for society.

Dr. Booth…

EMSI provides socioeconomic impact and strategic plan-ning tools for community and technical colleges through-out the United States and Canada. The study is available at www.tctc.edu/EconomicImpact2013.

readySC™ conducted pre-hire training classes at the Industrial Technol-ogy Center for McLaughlin Body Company during the month of March in preparation for its second round of hiring.

Eight of the individuals who completed the first readySC™ pre-hire class last year have been hired and to date have built cabs for tractors from start to finish, including welding, painting, assembling and glazing. Matt Horton, left, is among those McLaughlin hires who have been teaching students in the current pre-hire classes about assembling the windshield wipers on tractor cabs. Pictured with Horton are, from left, Wayne Fields, of Anderson, and Anton Keller, of Due West.

Let Us Help You Find Your Next Great HireAt the end of each semester, a new group of highly skilled employees enters the job market. Our graduates are in great demand by area employers, so don’t wait any longer to identify potential new hires for your company. Let our Career Services Office assist you in finding the right person to meet your employment needs.

Contact Glenn Hellenga in Career Services at 646-1585 or ghelleng@tctc.edu.

Ronnie L. Booth, Ph.D. President

(Continued from page 1)