Clemson University, Greenville Tech Break Ground on $25 Million Industrial Training Center
January 28, 2015
Monday marked yet another milestone in the Upstate’s mission to provide the automotive, transportation, and other high-tech sectors with a highly-skilled workforce with the groundbreaking of the Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI), a $25 million collaboration between Clemson University and Greenville Technical College.
Local and state officials, including Governor Nikki Haley, several Upstate advanced manufacturers, Greenville County Council, and other leaders, attended Monday’s groundbreaking.
While the Upstate already has a strong pipeline for developing a modern day labor force, the primary goal of the CMI is to further increase the number of skilled workers available to Upstate manufacturers, helping to close the skills gap many manufacturers may face.
Per the official press release announcing the groundbreaking:
“The Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI) will be located at the Millennium Campus adjacent to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) Technology Neighborhood 1, offering education designed to meet industry needs including dual credit programs in partnership with Greenville County Schools, programs that allow a student to move from associate degree to bachelor’s degree, and workforce training and certificate programs that increase the qualifications of manufacturing employees.
The CMI will provide for deeper integration with the K-12 sector, with options for coursework starting in K-12 that will transition to GTC and then to Clemson. Modularized instruction will allow additional flexibility in entry and exit points. A Manufacturing Honors College is expected to be the first of its kind. In addition, students will benefit from internships and apprenticeships, allowing students to gain practical experience working alongside experienced engineers, faculty, and staff.
The location of CMI along with the partnership with Clemson University will provide for joint learning opportunities between associate and graduate level students. Project based instruction will mimic current manufacturing scenarios when engineering technicians and engineers must work side by side to solve problems critical to advanced manufacturing processes.
The center will engage K-12 students and show them the possibilities that exist in advanced manufacturing careers through dual enrollment programs, tours, camps, and open houses. The Center for Manufacturing Innovation will be designed, literally, to change negative perceptions about manufacturing, with architectural features that engage from the first moment. The entryway will provide observation points where a visitor can view simulated advanced manufacturing environments, and interactive displays will educate and entertain.”
(Governor Nikki Haley speaks at the groundbreaking for the Center for Manufacturing Innovation – image courtesy of Ken Osburn Photography/Greenville Technical College)
For more information on the workforce in Upstate South Carolina, visit https://www.upstatescalliance.com/about-upstate/information-downloads#workforce-education. For more information on the Center for Manufacturing Innovation, visit http://www.gvltec.edu/cmi/.