NETC was awarded $5.5 million to develop a new training center for Bennettsville, South Carolina. | Facebook
NETC was awarded $5.5 million to develop a new training center for Bennettsville, South Carolina. | Facebook
Northeastern Technical College (NETC) was awarded $4.4 million in grants to develop the education workforce in Marlboro County, but an additional local investment will add even more funding to help the initiative.
“Access to higher education in rural areas is essential to building a 21st-century workforce," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) told the Laurinburg Exchange in April. "I appreciate the work Northeastern Technical College is doing to promote economic growth."
So far, $5.5 million has been given to the South Carolina-based NETC to establish a workforce training center in Bennettsville, according to The Laurinburg Exchange.
The funds will help complete Phase 2 of the former Winn-Dixie facility renovations, according to The Laurinburg Exchange. Phase 2 will include two expansions to the Marlboro Campus building, which will include training for diesel technology and advanced manufacturing and a fabrication program for the campus' welding program, the Laurinburg Exchange reports.
The project is designed to give residents of the South Carolina county training and skills for the existing industries in the area, according to The Laurinburg Exchange.
“Workforce is increasingly the single most important issue for prospective new business and industry," Ron Munnerlyn, Marlboro County administrator and executive director of Marlboro County Economic Development Partnership, told The Laurinburg Exchange. "With this grant, NETC’s Marlboro County Campus will achieve its full potential, greatly benefiting our efforts to recruit new investment and jobs in the community."
The new program will help residents earn associate degrees, which can increase their pay, the Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment at the Community College Research Center at Teachers College of Columbia University reported. Those who receive a degree can earn over $4,000 more than someone without a degree, The Laurinburg Exchange reported.
NETC's Marlboro Campus has over 800 residents of the county enrolled each year, according to Laurinburg Exchange. Higher education can help create a well-educated workforce.
“You can’t have a strong workforce without investing in higher education,” Dr. Kyle Wagner, NETC President, told The Laurinburg Exchange. “This new larger facility will have a substantial impact on the community.”
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