Upstate colleges strive to meet manufacturing workforce demands

Local technical and community colleges are preparing the future manufacturing workforce needed in Upstate South Carolina.

Manufacturing companies are increasingly expanding or establishing new operations in the region, creating hundreds of new jobs to fill. Upstate South Carolina had approximately 117,277 jobs in the manufacturing sector in 2024, according to the Upstate SC Alliance. This amount is projected to increase by approximately 7,005 jobs over the next five years.

Greenville Technical College, Spartanburg Community College and Tri-County Technical College strive to meet the industry’s growing workforce demands by providing a direct pipeline of skilled labor. The colleges work hand in hand with industry partners to ensure students learn the in-demand skills needed for the manufacturing sector.

Kelvin Byrd, dean of Greenville Technical College’s School for Advanced Manufacturing and Transportation Technology, said it’s a challenge to keep up with the region’s influx of manufacturing jobs.

“I’m not going to say we’re meeting all the demand because so many companies are moving here in the Upstate so fast,” Byrd said. “We’re all trying to meet that workforce need and we’re all offering great programs.”

Manufacturing workforce demands

Photo provided by Tri-County Technical College

Mechatronics engineers and technicians are in high demand for Upstate manufacturers. These skilled laborers perform maintenance, repairs and installations for electrical, mechanical, robotic and control systems in manufacturing facilities.

Paul Phelps, interim dean of engineering and industrial technology division at Tri-County Technical College, said area manufacturers continue to need more mechatronics graduates to maintain their facilities and equipment. Mechatronics is the college’s largest manufacturing program with around 350 students enrolled this fall.

Spartanburg Community College recently rolled out a revamped mechatronics program for the fall semester. Tony Chadwick, dean of industrial technologies for Spartanburg Community College, said the program’s curriculum was updated and new technologies were added to keep up with current industry needs.

“Industry was seeing a need for some people (who) were more focused on automation over people (who) were more focused on mechanical,” Chadwick said. “Things are rapidly changing, and we needed classes that could support that.”

Welding professionals are increasingly needed in the manufacturing sector. According to the American Welding Society, 320,500 new welding professionals are projected to be needed across the country by 2029. To meet the local workforce demand, Greenville Technical College is building a new Center for Welding and Automation Excellence on its Brashier Campus in Simpsonville.

The manufacturing industry also continues to need more computer numerical control operators and programmers. These workers operate CNC machines used in manufacturing. Phelps said the industry demand exceeds the enrollment in Tri-County Technical College’s CNC programming and operations program.

“I was in a meeting with a local manufacturer, and I think if they could grab every graduate we have, they would,” Phelps said. “Their demand is at a level that they cannot find enough people and they’re looking to double in size within the next five years.”

Approximately 93% of Greenville Technical College CNC machining and advanced manufacturing students find employment after graduation. The college’s bachelor’s in applied science in advanced manufacturing technology prepares students for technical and managerial positions in the manufacturing industry. Byrd said enrollment in the four-year program has skyrocketed in recent years.

“We are the only technical college in the state of South Carolina that offers a four-year degree and so we have a lot of students who are coming back and taking advantage of that opportunity,” Byrd said.

Industry partnerships

Strong partnerships between local manufacturing employers and colleges can help ensure workforce-development needs are met. Some of these partnerships are established before a manufacturing company enters the Upstate.

For example, Isuzu North America Corp. has partnered with Greenville Technical College to start training its future workforce in Greenville County. The commercial-vehicle supplier plans to build a $280 million production facility in Greenville, creating 700 new jobs.

Byrd said Isuzu will set up training operations at the college’s Brashier Campus to teach students the concepts and principles that will be implemented in the new manufacturing plant. The company’s 1 million-square-foot facility is expected to be up and running in 2027.

Spartanburg Community College partners with advanced manufacturing companies to offer apprenticeship opportunities to students. Local employers who participate in the college’s apprenticeship program include BMW Manufacturing Co., Michelin, GE Vernova and Milo’s Tea.

“What we’re doing is trying to pair our current students with employers in the area so they can get that hands-on experience in the actual industry while also getting that experience in our classrooms,” said Nikki Burgess, director of workforce development for Spartanburg Community College. “We hope to see that grow.”

Manufacturing-industry partners are also involved in the advisory committees for the local technical and community colleges, providing guidance on the curriculum and equipment used to train students. Phelps said the companies represented on Tri-County Technical College’s advisory committee also provide insight into gaps the college needs to address to stay current with manufacturing needs.

“That requires a lot of investment from the college and state and then going after different funding sources to make sure that we can stay as current and relevant to the technology and the demand of local manufacturing,” Phelps said.