A well-educated and highly trained workforce is the defining characteristic of Pickens County.South Carolina.USA. Home of the Scholar Technician, our workforce development program gives businesses in Pickens County a true competitive edge.

The Pickens County School District is second to none in South Carolina, as the highest-ranking countywide school district in the state. The Pickens County Career and Technology Center also has a history of excellence as the number one technical high school in South Carolina. It is the only high school in South Carolina that teaches 5-axis machining to high school students. Pickens County is also home to Clemson University, Southern Wesleyan University, and Tri-County Technical College, offering Pickens County companies a competitive advantage.

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Clemson 2

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

  • Carnegie R1 research institution in Pickens County
  • $734M in research proposal submission value in FY20
  • Clemson has won three (3) College Football Playoff National Championships; The first was won in 1981, the second in 2016, and the third in 2018.
  • Clemson ranks No. 1 in South Carolina and No. 29 nationally for undergraduate engineering programs among national public universities – USNews & World Report, 2019
  • Clemson ranks No. 11 nationally for Most Innovative Schools among national public universities – USNews & World Report, 2019
  • Over 30% of the students enrolled are in the college of engineering, computing and applied sciences.

Tri-County Technical College

  • Offers over 70 associate degree, diploma, and certificate programs
  • Tri-Technical College offers work-based learning experiences including BMW Technical Scholars Program, Michelin Technical Scholars Program, Duke Energy Co-op Program, and more
  • Cooperative Education, often called Co-op, opportunities to integrate classroom lessons with real-world employment to provide students with paid work experience in a field related to their academic or career goals
  • I-BEST (Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training) is a nationally recognized workforce development program for students preparing for STEM careers
Tri-County Tech
Southern Weslian

SOUTHERN WESLEYAN

  • Liberal Arts College
  • Dual Enrollment Program associated with the Pickens County Career and Technology Center for Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management

THE PICKENS COUNTY CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER

  • The Pickens County Career and Technology Center (PCCTC) is a leader in the state of South Carolina in meeting all federally recognized Perkins standards
  • The PCCTC has seen their enrollment balloon to over 1,400 students with students starting the programs as early as the 8th grade
  • Work-based learning programs help to deliver job related skills and education that helps to build the talent pipeline for businesses in Pickens County
  • Students completing these programs have at least 2.5 years of classroom and on-the-job training and leave their program of study with at least (1) industry recognized certification [Read More]
Career Tech Center
School 1

SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PICKENS COUNTY

  • The School District of Pickens County is the #1 rated countywide school district in the state of South Carolina
  • The district also boasts a 85% on-time graduation rate with 73% of students scoring at least a silver certification on the WIN test
  • Leaders from the education, business, and industrial communities work together to ensure Pickens County students possess the training and education they need when they enter the workforce
  • Students in Pickens County excel on standardized tests, participate in championship Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition teams, and enjoy the benefits of learning in new state-of-the-art facilities

SC WORKS TRAINING

Each year, nearly 100 companies benefit from the skilled individuals trained by readySC™. The program is unique, as workers are trained to the companies’ specifications – at little or no cost. Companies that choose to relocate or expand their existing operations in South Carolina can utilize the training resource to ensure a strong, productive workforce.

SC Ready

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