Laggards or leaders?
There’s no doubt that Greenville County is a rising star on the national stage. Factors like a top-ranked downtown, nationally recognized events, increasing tourism and growing investment from major corporations make us the envy of many other communities and assist greatly in our economic development efforts. Yet, with all this positive attention, there is a persistent concern that can hinder our recruitment efforts: the notion that Greenville’s workforce is less prepared in the areas of science, technology and math (STEM).
The issue is compounded by local perception as well. According to a recent poll, 50 percent of residents feel that Greenville County’s STEM efforts lag behind the rest of the nation, and 27 percent feel that the STEM job market here is lacking.
Perception doesn’t completely match up with reality here.
The Brookings Institute found that Greenville is on par with larger Southern cities such as Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham. The study looked at overall workforce preparedness, the availability and degree of STEM education and the presence of critical STEM programs. Business Facilities magazine ranked our community fifth in the nation for STEM education.
The county also gets high marks nationally for our unique and exemplary public-private partnerships focused on workforce innovations. Companies we work with at Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC), both new and existing, often inquire about both the present and future talent pool. The pipeline of future workers is important, especially for a company involved in emerging technologies.
Greenville County is far ahead of many competing communities, with effective programs already in place at almost every educational level. From A. J. Whittenberg Elementary School of Engineering, Fisher Middle and NEXT High School, STEM education programs abound in the Greenville County school district. The Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI), scheduled to open next year, is a collaborative effort between Clemson University and Greenville Technical College designed to provide a steady stream of qualified talent for firms pioneering expertise in 3-D printing, virtual reality and other innovative industries.
Additionally, while our community has made great strides to provide better STEM education opportunities for our young people, we’ve also worked hard to develop and implement programs designed to retrain older displaced workers. Leading local employers – Michelin, Fluor, BMW Manufacturing and others – have worked closely with local government and educational institutions, including Clemson University, Furman University, Greenville Technical College and Greenville County Schools to create curriculum, tools, internships and on-the-job training to prepare residents with the skills needed to continue their growth in the Upstate.
The Upstate STEM Collaborative and the STEM Expert Teacher programs are two good examples. But no single program has had a more direct impact on the local economy than Apprenticeship Carolina. A division of the South Carolina Technical College System, Apprenticeship Carolina provides businesses in South Carolina with unique access to all the information and technical assistance they need to create demand-driven registered apprenticeship programs. It also engages with would-be workers to drive their interest in, and completion of, apprenticeships in areas of critical need, including engineering and manufacturing jobs that might otherwise go unfilled.
Greenville County – and South Carolina for that matter – is again bucking national trends in this regard. The number of formal apprenticeship programs has fallen about 40 percent between 2003 and 2013, according to the Labor Department. Since the program’s inception in 2007, Apprenticeship Carolina has increased the number of apprenticeships in our state by 733 percent, making it much more attractive to those looking to relocate or expand here and improving salaries and quality of life for residents.
Local companies see tremendous value in these programs. Bosch Rexroth has its apprenticeship program to hire, train and develop people with its specific needs and processes in mind. It has doubled the number of participants since its inception in 2008 and expanded the program to include a partnership for youths and First Robotics. In fact, since its founding in 2013, Bosch has hired six youth apprentices for high-paying skilled positions right out of high school.
The GADC is facilitating productive discussions with prospects and established businesses to ensure the best deal is brought to the table when they are considering an expansion or relocation. I’ve seen firsthand business leaders, educational institutions and government entities work closely together to ensure continued progress and leadership. While the strength of these public-private partnerships has already borne fruit in terms of economic expansion, development, and new and better opportunities for our workers, we cannot rest on our laurels. Hard work remains to not only dispel the myths about our area but continue the programs that will make a positive impact.
