Building the AI-ready technical workforce: Greenville Tech and McMillan Pazdan Smith share a national model at the 2026 ACCT Leadership Congress
October 22, 2026
Center for Applied AI and Cyber Resiliency (CAAICR) – a rendering by McMillan Pazdan Smith
AI skills are no longer just for software developers. More than half of job postings that require AI skills are now outside of IT and computer science. Jobs requiring AI skills are growing about eight times faster than the overall job market and carry an average wage premium of 62%. In manufacturing, the gap is especially urgent. The U.S. will need to fill roughly 2.3 million technician openings by 2030, and AI fluency is becoming part of the technician job description.
This week, Greenville Technical College’s leaders will show community college trustees and presidents from across the country how one college is meeting that challenge. Dr. Larry Miller, President of Greenville Technical College, will present at the 2026 ACCT Leadership Congress with Ray Lattimore, Chair of the Greenville Technical College Area Commission, and Chad Cousins, CEO of McMillan Pazdan Smith and Chair of the Greenville Tech Foundation Board. The Congress runs Oct. 21–24 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The session, entitled “Partnering with AI to Exceed Goals,” will be held Thursday, Oct. 22nd from 8am to 9am CT.
Greenville Tech’s approach treats AI as a skill for every student, not a specialty for a few. The college opened the nation’s first AI welding lab at its new Center for Welding and Automation Excellence. Its dental programs use Dentrix AI software to train students in diagnostics. Through the National Applied AI Consortium’s mentorship program, the college is building the faculty expertise and partnerships needed to integrate AI across the institution.
The centerpiece will be the Center for Applied AI and Cyber Resiliency (CAAICR), designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith. The 59,315-square-foot facility will house 18 specialized labs and serve more than 6,600 students a year, and every Greenville Tech student is expected to take at least one course there. Students will run a Security Operations Center, gaining hands-on experience in cyber defense, threat monitoring, and incident response. The center will also offer corporate training in applied AI and cyber resiliency to upskill the region’s existing workforce.
“The employers and institutions we advise and serve are all asking who will lead and what new skills are needed to run, maintain, and protect the AI-enabled workplace,” said Cousins. “Buildings must also teach and empower this transformative shift in our workforce. At CAAICR the Security Operations Center, collaborative labs and open, visible, and technology-integrated learning spaces are designed for students to put into practice the AI and Cyber skills necessary for the careers they will fill.”
In Huntsville, Ala., the firm designed the Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering (ASCTE). It is the nation’s only public, tuition-free residential high school dedicated to cyber technology and engineering, with 76,500 square feet of active learning space that includes a cyber range, machine shops, and fabrication labs. ASCTE students build career connections through more than 80 industry partnerships. Together, the two projects show how intentional design can carry students from high school to technical college to a high-demand career.
This session comes as colleges confront a fast-moving target. The World Economic Forum projects that 39% of workers’ core skills will change by 2030. Nearly half of recent graduates say they feel unprepared even to apply for entry-level jobs in their field.
Attendees will learn how Greenville Tech is building AI and cybersecurity education across its programs, how it combines state and philanthropic investment to fund it, and how facilities can be designed to adapt as skill demands evolve.
The ACCT Leadership Congress is the largest annual gathering of its kind for community college trustees and presidents, and this year’s program focuses on leading through rapid technological change and evolving workforce demands. Registration is open at https://www.acct.org/events/2026Congress
