ZF Apprenticeship Delivers High-Paying Jobs for Those with the Right Stuff

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.

Automotive Tech Program Receives Coveted Accreditation

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.

Apprenticeship Program Wins Over Velux Staff

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.”

Ahead of the Curve on ‘Protect and Serve’

The ability to effectively protect and serve the public takes a special type of individual, someone with both empathy and acute critical thinking skills, someone with moral conviction and respect for the rule of law. Piedmont Technical College’s associate in applied science (AAS) degree with a major in criminal justice offers a solid foundation that graduates can take immediately into entry-level public service work or build on by transferring into more advanced studies at a four-year institution.

PTC Graduate Rises to Position as Magistrate Judge

Petite but powerful, Christina Pope had no trouble handling suspects twice her size as a former Richland County Sheriff’s Deputy. And today, the Piedmont Technical College graduate is making an equally strong impression in the courtroom as a Richland County magistrate judge.

Going With the Flow at Menardi in Edgefield County

Navigating a sometimes turbulent marketplace requires vision, experience ― and the right balance to stabilize the ship. Management at Menardi Filter Elements in Edgefield County realized that sailing along the same way as always only brings the same results. All the while, their competitors were changing tack in the midst of an approaching sea change. Company officials saw apprenticeship, in partnership with Piedmont Technical College, as an opportunity to secure training and update employee skills at a significantly lower cost while, at the same time, instigating a progressive shift in mindset.

PTC-SC State Bridge Graduate Lauds Progressive Leadership at MEC in Greenwood

As he paddled a turbulent section of the Chattooga River between South Carolina and Georgia, Orlando Carrillo couldn’t help but take an engineer’s interest in the various rock formations and the patterns of rushing water circumnavigating them. “I remember thinking about the water and the danger of the hydraulics,” Carrillo said. “You try to understand how the water assumes a circular motion. I think that is very interesting from an engineering perspective.”

PTC 'Ready to Roll' in Workforce Partnership to Fix SC Roads

Have you ever gestured toward a commercial truck driver to pull on his air horn? It’s great fun, and Piedmont Technical College (PTC) is having a little fun “blowing the horn” in announcing an inspired partnership that is rooted in the challenge of improving the state’s network of roads and highways. The SC Workforce Development Board has named PTC the lead agency and training provider for a $355,363 grant project, titled “Ready to Roll,” designed to increase the state’s workforce for highway construction and related sectors.

PTC Graduate Earns National Apprentice Toolmaker Certification

After just his first semester studying at Piedmont Technical College (PTC) in Greenwood, Austin Morris began working as an apprentice at Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings in Abbeville while continuing to work toward his machine tool technology degree at PTC. It was a bit of a risk in the beginning, but Chris Ramey, Morris’s supervisor at Burnstein von Seelen, is pleased with the outcome. Last month, Morris received his long-anticipated Apprentice Toolmaker certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship. The program has boosted his confidence, and Morris couldn’t be prouder to hold the certificate.

Horticulture Program Partners with Jackson & Perkins to Trial Novel Rose Varieties from New Zealand

The Piedmont Technical College Horticulture Technology Program and Jackson & Perkins Roses and Park Seed have formed a first-of-its-kind partnership to conduct the Jackson Perkins/PTC Horticulture Quarantine Rose Trial Program at the horticulture facilities on the Lex Walters Campus-Greenwood.
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