Bosch Rexroth supports Greenville Technical College’s Center for manufacturing innovation with scholarship funds

A $70,000 gift by the Bosch Community Fund will create scholarships for students who are part of the Manufacturing Honors College at Greenville Technical College’s Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI).

Bosch Rexroth has supported the CMI from the very beginning. The idea for this new approach to advanced manufacturing education, expected to open fall 2016, originated with the needs of the company and other employers in the Upstate. As the economy began to improve around 2010, employers had job openings they were unable to fill based on the skill level of job seekers. At the same time, many workers were approaching retirement age, and young people were not considering manufacturing as a career. The Center for Manufacturing Innovation is expected to impact the skills gap and to create strong interest in some of the excellent opportunities available in this sector.

The Honors College is anticipated to be the first of its kind in the U.S. Through this innovation in education, students from Greenville Technical College (preparing to be technicians) and students from Clemson University (preparing to be engineers) will work together to address real-world manufacturing challenges.

Mike McCormick, Technical Plant Manager – Bosch Rexroth in Fountain Inn, SC, stated: “Bosch-Rexroth is proud to continue our partnership with Greenville Technical College. By opening the Center for Manufacturing Innovation, GTC and Bosch Rexroth are committed to the journey of better preparing future technicians and engineers for the Upstate.”

The Bosch Community Fund has previously donated funds to support equipment needs and scholarships for students enrolled in advanced manufacturing programs. A gift earlier this year is creating a Hydraulics Simulation Lab at the CMI where students can learn to operate the hydraulics equipment they will encounter in the workplace. The learning experience includes not only Bosch Rexroth equipment but that of other vendors as well. A 2015 gift for scholarships is allowing individuals who are unemployed or underemployed to complete short-term, intense training for manufacturing positions through the Quick Jobs with a Future program. In 2013, the company donated $420,000 to create a mobile hydraulics lab housed at the college’s Buck Mickel Center. This lab will move to the CMI when it opens.

“Bosch Rexroth has been a strong partner for the college as we have worked together to address the skills gap that has hampered manufacturing growth,” said Dr. Keith Miller, president of Greenville Technical College. “Through many gifts over a number of years, the company has helped us provide the best equipment for training along with scholarship funds so that we can attract bright students. We are very grateful.”