The Heritage Classic Foundation partners with the SC Technical College System to expand mechatronic technician training with $100,000 grant
December 3, 2018
The Heritage Classic Foundation is partnering with the SC Technical College System to invest $100,000 in a grant to expand training opportunities for skilled mechatronic workers across the state. The grant will be used to support Siemens Mechatronic System Certification Programs for faculty at South Carolina’s 16 technical colleges. This certification will allow for training and preparing much-needed, skilled maintenance technicians for South Carolina’s growing manufacturing sector.
As manufacturing equipment becomes more automated and technologically advanced, demand increases for highly-trained and highly-skilled mechatronic technicians. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering that includes a combination of mechanical engineering technology, robotics, electronics, computer engineering, telecommunications engineering, systems engineering and control engineering. Skilled mechatronic technicians are in constant demand.
This partnership will focus on expanding the training and certification of these much-needed technicians across the state. The grant will fund the second level of faculty training in Siemens’ globally-recognized certification program. The Siemens training provides comprehensive skills certification with a focus on system understanding, troubleshooting and problem-solving skills. It is renowned for producing well-grounded, trained individuals who can easily adapt to changing work situations quickly and appropriately.
The Siemens’ certification is a standard used by many of South Carolina’s well-known manufacturing companies including Boeing, BMW, Michelin and Bosch, among others.
“The SC Technical College System continuously collaborates with industry to best meet essential workforce needs. This partnership with the Heritage Classic Foundation and Siemens provides an excellent example of how our System strives to align our degrees and curriculum with community and industry needs,” said Dr. Tim Hardee, SC Technical College System president. “We look forward to working closely with our partners to train and prepare much-needed mechatronic technicians. Expansion of our offerings will help provide skilled workers who are so important to maintaining and supporting the technologically advanced equipment at manufacturing facilities across the state.”
The Heritage Classic Foundation is the general tournament sponsor of South Carolina’s only PGA TOUR event, the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. The mission of the Heritage Classic Foundation is to improve lives throughout the state of South Carolina. One of the ways that mission is fulfilled is through educational grants and scholarships.
“Funding the South Carolina Technical College mechatronics training program is twofold for us,” said Heritage Classic Foundation Trustee Doug Smith. “It helps further educate Palmetto State students by providing the necessary skills they require for meaningful work. It also creates a skilled workforce that is vital to the success of many of our corporate partners across the state.”
About SC Technical College System: Comprised of 16 colleges located strategically across the state and two internationally-renowned statewide programs: readySC™ and Apprenticeship Carolina™, the SC Technical College System is dedicated to furthering economic and workforce development in South Carolina. As the state’s largest higher education system, the SC Technical System serves more than a quarter million South Carolinians each year and educates more of our state’s undergraduates than all the other public higher education institutions combined. Dedicated to making a quality higher education both accessible and affordable, the System plays a key role in educating and training South Carolina’s workforce for the in-demand, high-skilled jobs of today and tomorrow. For more information, visit www.sctechsystem.edu or follow us on Twitter (@sctechsystem).
About Heritage Classic Foundation: The Heritage Classic Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives throughout the state of South Carolina. As the general sponsor of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, millions of dollars generated from ticket sales and sponsorships are distributed to charitable organizations that enhance the quality of life for our citizens. Since it was founded as a 501 (c)(3) in 1987, the Foundation has donated close to $40 million to people in need. For more information, call (843) 671-2448, visit www.heritageclassicfoundation.com or Facebook (Heritage Classic Foundation) and Twitter (@HCFGolf).
