Preparing our future workforce: What I learned at HGTC

By Karen Owens, Publisher

I’ve had the privilege to participate in Leadership Georgetown this year and as part of that experience, I get to tour various businesses and organizations across the county to better understand what’s happening in our community. Here are some key takeaways from our recent Education Day and our visit to the Georgetown Center for Advanced Manufacturing on the Horry-Georgetown Technical College Georgetown Campus.

A bit of history

Horry-Georgetown Technical College was established in 1966 and has grown to be the fourth largest technical schools in the state. With three campuses – Conway, Grand Strand and Georgetown – they have approximately 10,000 students enrolled making it on par with nearby Coastal Carolina University. In fact, HGTC just announced they had a record-breaking 9.8% enrollment increase for the spring semester. 

When HGTC was established, its focus was primarily on supporting careers in hospitality and tourism but that started to shift in 2014 with the expansion of the existing HVAC program in 2017. Dr. Marilyn “Murph” Fore was the chief academic officer at that time, and the emergence of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) was becoming more prevalent. The College added welding and machine tool to address growing employment needs in the region.

After she became HGTC president in 2017, the College added mechatronics, outboard marine, and diesel in 2019.

Facilities challenge

While it was exciting to add these new programs to support local industry in the two-county area, it was immediately apparent that facilities to house the equipment and students was needed.

According to Jeff Ball, chair of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development at HGTC, they built one and bought two buildings in a local business park in Conway to accommodate the new additions. In 2019, they opened the Georgetown Center for Advanced Manufacturing on the Georgetown campus to house welding, mechatronics and machine tool. Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic in 2020 slowed the new center’s progress in its early years, but as the state returned to “normal,” enrollment picked up.

Ball serves as a liaison with local industry, keeping his ears open to their needs and adapting programs to make sure they are giving students the best opportunity for job placement upon completing their studies at HGTC. As a result of the recent closures of International Paper Company and Liberty Steel, the College is transitioning the mechatronics program to industrial electricity.

HGTC Marine Technology Institute of South Carolina on the Georgetown Campus is currently under construction and will house the boat building and outboard marine programs.

Preparing the future workforce

“The job market has changed drastically in the last 20 years,” Ball explained. “The business degree of 30 years ago won’t generate the income-level these technical jobs now command. We have 100 percent job placement for our graduates, and I take great pride in that.”

All HGTC advanced manufacturing programs have advisory boards that routinely review curriculum, provide feedback, observe classes and conduct mock interviews with students to make sure the program continues its success.  Sometimes the mock interviews go so well, the student is offered a job on the spot. 

Ball explained that they can develop and fast-track special classes at the workforce development level to test effectiveness and demand as requested by area employers. Classes can be moved from the workforce development side of the College to the curriculum side of the College with the appropriate state approvals.  Their automotive program is a great example of this, as it was part of the workforce development area for two years before transitioning to the curriculum side.

“Funding and support can make great things happen,” Ball told us. “We are extremely fortunate to have both of those ingredients at HGTC.”