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Dr. Darrel W. Staat
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President's Corner
Late in January, a group gathered in Columbia to discuss the future of technical college education and training in South Carolina. Specifically, they came together to discuss the SC Technical College System and its goals for the next five years. This strategic long-range planning session included members of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, presidents from each of the 16 technical colleges, executive staff and business leaders from across the state.
The busy day centered around identifying those areas where the group believed the System’s resources should be focused. Ever present was the System’s mission of providing affordable and accessible higher education opportunities that promote the economic and workforce development efforts of South Carolina.
After a day of lively discussion and debate, the packed room agreed on five areas of focus for the System:
- Funding, especially as it relates to maintaining affordability and accessibility
- Rebranding the image of a technical college education
- Ensuring competitiveness through education and training delivery
- Supporting the state’s economic development efforts through workforce development and workforce readiness
- Gaining support and commitment of key stakeholders to the value of the SC Technical College System
As a System, we are now in the process of assigning taskforces. By summer, it is my goal to have long range plans proposed for taking the System to the next level on each of these initiatives. Once the plans go through the appropriate groups, councils and boards for approval, we’ll be ready for implementation.
It’s an exciting time at the SC Technical College System as we work to strengthen our commitment to providing the infrastructure for workforce education and training in South Carolina.
Thank you,
Darrel
