Real Commitment: MTC Fuels Workforce Development in the Midlands
Staff Report From Columbia CEO
Thursday, September 15th, 2016
Through affordable education and top-notch training programs, MTC is preparing real students for real jobs and becoming a recognized leader in workforce development. Nearly 50 top Midlands employers came to MTC’s career days this month to recruit MTC students.
“Employers say MTC consistently produces qualified, well-trained students,” said MTC President Dr. Ronald L. Rhames. “Many have come to rely heavily on the college for recruiting students who then become great employees.”
The Midlands-area employers looking to hire MTC graduates are diverse. Among those who attended the career days at MTC, the employers were recruiting students to fill the needs in business management, healthcare, manufacturing, and information technology.
“We recognize that IT is rapidly growing field, and there’s an increase need for qualified professionals in the Midlands area. Our students are well equipped to meet those needs,” said Dr. Rhames.
The well-trained, highly-qualified students are the reason many employers say they consistently use MTC as a talent pipeline.
“When MTC students come to Verizon, they already have the skills that we’re looking for, so they’re able to adapt quickly, fill in gaps, and go on to move throughout the organization,” said Charles Kearse II, Talent Connector of Verizon Wireless. “We look for MTC students everywhere we go, and we try to hire them as much as we can.”
Employers not only come to MTC for recruitment, but they also come to the college for customized training. Through a grant from the South Carolina Apprenticeship Initiative, T Cube Solutions worked with MTC to create a customized curriculum to train its business analysts and project managers.
“To have courses tailored to fill our specific needs is greater than finding something that’s off the shelf, or sending someone to a month-long class where you’re only going to use 30 percent of what you’ve learned,” Bob Adams, Resource Manager of T Cube Solutions.
“If you’ve got a skills gap, or resource needs, I would start a conversation with Midlands Technical College. MTC is definitely a strong resource,” said Adams.