If You Build It, They Will Come

When Ernest "Fritz" Hollings was elected governor and set out to make South Carolina more competitive in recruiting business and industry, he knew that in order to do that, the state needed to do a better job of training people for the jobs.

So in 1961, he established the South Carolina Advisory Committee for Technical Training, which oversaw the creation of permanent regional technical centers to provide post-secondary technical and other adult skills training.

The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Technical Education Center (later to be named Trident Technical College) became the 7th center to open for its first 226 students in September 1964.
From the very beginning TTC has illustrated a characteristic that has become a hallmark of the college and the state technical college system: rapidly changing curricula in response to new technology and changing community needs.

In an editorial appearing September 8, 1964, the opening day of the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Technical Education Center, the Charleston News and Courier states:

“Besides serving students – 250 full-time pupils to start, plus scores or hundreds of employed persons in the night classes – this new school will become a lure for industry. Industrial plants tend to locate where such schools can supply needed skills."

Fast forward to 2009, when Boeing considered building a second 787 assembly line in Charleston. Newspapers in Washington state ran articles repeatedly pointing to Trident Technical College as one of the region's strengths, calling TTC's aeronautical training program an "ace" in South Carolina's hand to secure the Boeing line for Charleston.

Now, as TTC celebrates 50 years with more than 17,000 students enrolled, we say thank you to Senator Hollings for his visionary leadership, and thank YOU to the friends of the college, for helping the college reach this significant milestone.

Learn more about TTC's history

Business Leaders thank Trident Tech for 50 years of support

Source: Poland, T. (2013). Transforming South Carolina's Destiny: SC Technical College System's First 50 Years. Columbia, SC: SC Technical College System.

Comments

New Laptop is a Game-Changer

When life throws you one challenge after another, you start to appreciate the small wins. For Trident Tech student Kristi Salvo, receiving a new laptop through the Student Urgent Needs (SUN) fund was a game-changer. Like students across the country, Salvo’s in-person classes were abruptly switched to an online format this spring due to COVID-19. But she knew her older computer couldn’t keep up with the online demands and she couldn't afford to buy a new one. “I was already dealing with a lot and it felt like this was going to be the thing that would break me,” she said. Salvo, a veteran of the US Air Force, struggles with health issues, including a back injury and a severe autoimmune disorder. In March, she and her husband separated, leaving her to juggle the responsibility of being a student, while also being a teacher to their two young children. All this, while trying to stay healthy and safe during a global pandemic. After Salvo and her children moved into a smaller, more aff

Loss of Former TTC Film Student Inspires Events

Sarah Jones, a 27-year old camera assistant, was tragically killed last February by a freight train while filming a movie in southeast Georgia. Since then, many friends and colleagues of Jones, a former TTC student, have spoken out about the safety issues surrounding the film industry. Film Veteran Presented Workshop in Honor of Sarah Jones Douglas C. Hart, a respected camera technician in the film industry, agrees that safety on film sets must be improved. Hart presented a a free public workshop at Trident Tech last month. He literally wrote the book on working as a camera assistant. His textbook, “The Camera Assistant: A Complete Professional Handbook,” is used by film students at Trident Tech and at other colleges around the country. In a meeting with TTC film students and in the workshop, Hart focused on safety as well as many other aspects of working in the industry, including camera mechanics, on-set procedures, lenses and filters, and screen tests. To

The Path to Success

As the 11th of 14 children, Kathy Simmons knows what it’s like to be a part of a close-knit family. Which is exactly why she has made her way back to Trident Technical College 33 years after graduating in 1985. Kathy’s path back to TTC began with her desire to fulfill two goals – advance her education and travel – and she figured the best way to accomplish both was through the military. So Kathy joined the Air Force in 1987, and did indeed accomplish both goals. She received her Bachelor of Arts while stationed in Minot, North Dakota, her Master of Arts from Erskine Theological Seminary and she has completed 60 hours toward a Doctor of Education from Walden University. She saw much of the country and spent time overseas in Korea. After the military, Kathy found herself back at TTC in the Admissions and Registrar’s office, and it was there she realized she really wanted to stay in education and help students find success. But a wise mentor once told her that in order to advance

Change Starts Here

Search This Blog