In Focus
EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LIST: COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES, PAGE 18
Construction fuel Building commercial and residential property takes access to capital, a supply of materials, a workforce and skill. The construction industry continues to thrive across the region and state.
Building spending in SC Spending on construction in South Carolina has fluctuated over the past five years. Year Dollars 2020 $4.6 billion 2019 $4.8 billion 2018 $5.2 billion 2017 $5 billion 2016 $4.6 billion Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Pricing residential
The following areas have the highest median home prices in S.C. for 2022. Across the Palmetto State, only the Central Carolina region reported a year-over-year price decline at -2.3%.
Broderick Smith (left), a student in the plumbing certificate program at Midlands Technical College’s Airport Campus, works on a project with instructor Devan Jordan. The program is part of the college’s continuing education program for workforce development. (Photo/Christina Lee Knauss)
Programs, apprenticeship target skilled workers By Christina Lee Knauss
M
Contributing Writer
idland Technical College’s inaugural South Carolina Welding Skills Competition did more than give more than 40 students from across the state the chance to show off their skills and win valuable gear. The competition, held Feb. 25, also aimed to get students excited about careers in the fast-growing welding field, as well as the school’s certificate programs and two-year degree in the industry. Welders are in high demand in South Carolina and nationwide, with demand projected to grow around 8% by 2030, but U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an estimated annual shortage of more than 49,000 workers. That pipeline problem is mirrored in skilled trades across the board. A Feb. 8 report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated 11.3 million job openings around the country but just 6.3 million unemployed workers. Fields like durable goods manufacturing have more job openings than there are available workers with experience in the field. The report stated that even if every unem-
ployed person with manufacturing skills was hired right now, that would only fill 65% of available jobs. South Carolina’s technical schools and industry organizations are stepping into the gap to raise awareness about skilled trades and other fields to help shore up the state’s workforce. “The total number of open jobs is astounding to see. We’ve got jobs without people and people without jobs who would be able to fill those positions,” MTC Provost Barrie Kirk said. “Our challenge is to help young people learn what is out there and also help people of all ages who want these jobs to get the training they need.” Workforce development at MTC includes both certificate and two-year programs designed to guide everyone from recent high school graduates to adults looking to change careers toward jobs in high-demand fields, including welding, construction, HVAC and manufacturing, information technology and health care. People who want to learn a new skill relatively quickly can look to MTC’s Corporate and Continuing Education department, with open-enrollment certificate programs in welding, HVAC,
building construction and other trades, said Michael Ross, program director for industrial technologies and trade in corporate and continuing education. The department’s new plumbing program trains students in skills needed in both residential and commercial plumbing in a matter of months. Ross said demand for plumbers is so high in the Southeast that he recently heard from a company in Atlanta looking to hire workers for jobs in both South Carolina and Georgia. “Many people, particularly those in the service industry, saw how quickly their livelihood was affected during the pandemic, and they want to move into something more stable,” Ross said. “Our programs can guide them to these well-paying jobs that are in high demand.” Continuing education students range in age from 20 to 50, with many older students particularly interested in the commercial driver’s license program, Ross said. Outreach to teenagers is crucial for workforce development because the state’s workforce is aging, according to See WORKFORCE, Page 16
Area Hilton Head Charleston Piedmont Beaufort Statewide Greenville Myrtle Beach Aiken Anderson Columbia
Price $469,500 $356,356 $350,000 $337,000 $291,303 $285,000 $275,000 $261,355 $249,900 $245,000
% vs. 2021 +20.6 +12.8% +17.4% +22.0% +16.4% +19.7% +18.0% +22.2% +14.7% +17.1%
Spartanburg
$244,000
+15.0%
Latest residential data*
Nearly every area of South Carolina saw a double-digit decline in the number of days on the market before a house is sold. The Cherokee County region saw a 10.1% increase to 76 days. Area Charleston Greenville Columbia Myrtle Beach Anderson
Now 2,876 2,266 1,975 1,548 852
DOM 24 31 29 117 53
*Year to date, single-family, detached homes Source: South Carolina Realtors
NEXT ISSUE’S FOCUS:
Manufacturing and Automotive