Midlands Technical College awarded $4 million federal IT training grant
June 29, 2016
U.S. Department of Labor funds Midlands TechHire program to provide scholarships, training and job opportunities for high-growth occupations
COLUMBIA, SC – Midlands Technical College (MTC) has been awarded a competitive $4 million grant under the United States Department of Labor H-1B TechHire Program. The Midlands TechHire program will implement an innovative training and employment model to help develop IT technology talent in the region.
MTC is the only awardee in South Carolina to receive the grant, which will provide scholarships for training and certifications in the IT industry to 400 residents in the Midlands.
“Midlands Technical College is eager to put this $4 million to work for our community,” said MTC’s President, Dr. Ronald L. Rhames. “These funds will help hundreds of residents receive the valuable IT skills and certifications that are in demand and then connect them to high-growth jobs across the Midlands.”
Many local businesses are seeking employees who have the specific IT skills and credentials found in the Midlands TechHire program that will be offered at Midlands Technical College. TechHire will infuse the workforce with qualified IT graduates that are career-ready upon completion of their training.
“A pipeline of local IT talent is a big factor in a company’s decision to consider the Midlands as a place to do business,” said Rhames. “Hundreds of new, technically trained employees will help bring new jobs to our community and assist existing companies expand their IT areas.”
Midlands TechHire will focus on young adults ages 17-29 that need help connecting to employment and training opportunities, as well as unemployed, underemployed and other working adults. Midlands TechHire will provide these individuals with rigorous, high-quality training in information technology that includes industry-recognized certifications in only six to eight weeks.
Participants will receive intensive career coaching and will qualify for paid internships or registered apprenticeships that can lead directly to careers in middle- and high-skilled jobs.
A recent MTC graduate Alphonzo Royal received a scholarship for IT training and a paid internship through a similar Department of Labor grant MTC received in 2012.
“I found myself unemployed,” said Royal. “I had never been unemployed before, so I started doing a lot of research. I wanted to better myself. That’s when I discovered the training at Midlands Technical College.” In five months, Royal received industry-recognized credentials in computer networking and was offered a job the day after he graduated.
In early 2017, Midlands Technical College will begin offering Midlands TechHire scholarships for accelerated learning Bootcamps in Computer User Support, Network & Computer Systems Administration, Computer Network Support, Web Development, and Computer Programming. Students will train for networking and programming occupations, such as computer technician, network administrator, server administrator and web developer. Each program can be completed in six-to-eight weeks.
Along with the scholarships and technical training, Midlands TechHire will provide exam preparation for certifications, as well as classes and workshops in soft skills and job readiness. Graduates of these accelerated training programs will qualify for certification exam fees and paid three-month internships in IT occupations.
On a limited basis, the program staff will work with companies to increase the IT skills of existing employees for career advancement into more technical positions.
To request more information on Midlands TechHire call 803.732.0432 or email [email protected].
About Midlands Technical College
Midlands Technical College (MTC) is a comprehensive, multi-campus, public, two-year college serving Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina. The fifth-largest provider of higher education in South Carolina and the largest provider of transfer students to four-year colleges and universities in the state, MTC enrolls approximately 18,000 credit students annually. The college’s Corporate and Continuing Education program, one of the largest and most comprehensive in the Southeast, annually has 30,000 enrollments and provides continuing education to hundreds of area businesses each year. MIDLANDSTECH.EDU
