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www.columbiabusinessreport.com
March 14-27, 2022
MTC event aims to forge welding workforce pipeline By Christina Lee Knauss
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Contributing Writer
parks flew in a good way on Feb. 25 inside the new Welding Technology Center on the Airport Campus of Midlands Technical College. Inside the center, more than 40 high school students from 11 schools around the state took part in MTC’s first-ever South Carolina High School Welding Skills Competition, a contest designed to give students a chance to show off their welding skills while also learning about the high demand those skills are in in the state and the nation. The demand for welders nationwide is expected to grow around 8% between now and 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 49,200 openings are expected annually across the country. The current shortage of welders available to meet a growing demand in South Carolina mirrors the shortage of skilled labor facing both the state and the U.S. overall. The MTC event was created by Caleb Fulwood, director of MTC’s welding program, to generate interest in welding careers. Fulwood stressed that welding is one of the most in-demand jobs in the state and doesn’t require a four-year degree. Welders are needed in many of the fastest-growing industries in South Carolina including construction, shipping, automotive manufacturing and aerospace production plants. It’s also a skill frequently needed in the military. Midlands Technical College offers both a certificate program in welding and a two-year associate degree in Welding Technology. “Our programs teach all the fundamentals,” Fulwood said. “Someone can come in with no prior experience and, in a matter of months, have the skills they need to make $35 to $50 an hour.” He noted that pay rate can climb for the
A welder works during Midland Technical College’s inaugural statewide contest, which featured more than 40 high school students from throughout South Carolina. The event’s goal was to raise awareness of welding as an in-demand, lucrative career path. (Photo/Provided)
highest-skilled welders and for those willing to travel. The average annual salary for skilled welders nationwide is $41,628, but many welders make more than that depending on their industry. Nick Legg, a welding instructor at MTC, noted that welding offers both job security and the chance to work almost anywhere. “It’s also a skill-driven career because in welding, you’re judged on your individual skills and what you can actually do,” Legg said. Graduates from MTC’s welding program have taken jobs at many local and regional companies including Owens Steel, Avantech and Nucor Steel. Legg said recruiters from shipping companies in
Charleston have also expressed interest in MTC welding students. The high school competitors were between the ages of 15 and 18 and took part in two different competitions depending on their level of skill. The Category 1 segment involved welding a T-joint, while the Category 2 event involved executing a vertical groove weld. Prizes for the competition, which were donated by local businesses, included welding machines and auto-darkening welding helmets. “They’re pretty significant prizes because of their value and because they’re something the students can actually use on the job or at home,” Legg said. The competition also gave the students
MTC mascot Mav looks on during the school’s inaugural welding contest on Feb. 25. More than 40 students from 11 schools took part. (Photo/Provided)
the chance to check out the new $4.5 million Welding Technology Center, which includes 64 individual welding stations as well as extensive classroom and workshop space. Kevin Gratton has been a welding instructor for 38 years and currently teaches at the Lexington Technology Center. He enjoys passing the skill on to his students because he knows it’s something they can use. “What I teach them offers them a chance to go straight to work after graduation if they want or to come here to MTC and continue to study,” Gratton said. “I know they’ll be able to have a career.” Wagener-Salley High School placed first in the Category 1 competition, and the J. Harley Bonds Career Center in Greer won the Category 2 competition.
New streetwear store realization of college student’s dream By Melinda Waldrop
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mwaldrop@scbiznews.com
new luxury streetwear retailer is now open in Five Points. SWIFF, owned by Ashanti Thomas, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its 736 Harden St. location on Feb. 25, and the store opened to the public on Feb. 27. Thomas started SWIFF Brand, a line of hoodies, sweatpants, T-shirts and accessories, while attending Clemson University in 2015, printing and selling merchandise from his dorm room. He
later opened a mobile store with popups at Soda City in Columbia and on King Street in Charleston. “I was attracted to Five Points because of the opportunity,” Thomas said in a news release from The Five Points Association. “The shopping and restaurant district is already great, and there is room for even more. I saw a prime location for lease and had to jump on it. It’s always been a dream [of mine] to open a clothing store, and I’m happy to do it in Columbia and Five Points.” SWIFF opened in the former Supercuts location that closed last year. Thomas and Columbia Mayor Daniel Rick-
enmann welcomed guests to the grand opening, with refreshments provided by Drip. SWIFF’s name originated from Thomas and his friends, who described anything that “extra cool or sharp-looking” as “swift.” SWIFF will host monthly in-store events and feature a bar offering espresso-based beverages and coffee. In the coming weeks, wine and local beers will also be available as part of a space Thomas wants to create for people to visit even when not shopping. “People like tangible experiences, and that is what we will offer at our Five
Points location,” he said. “From quality clothing to our in-house bar, SWIFF will be a place native Carolinians can call their own.” SWIFF will be open Monday through Saturday from noon until 7 p.m. and Sundays from noon until 5 p.m. “SWIFF Brand will be a new retail option for the Five Points district that we’ve never seen here before,” Katy Renfroe, association manager of the Five Points Association, said. “I think he’s going to do really well here in our village. Ashanti’s brand has a classic yet contemporary feel with all the color options and creative details he puts in each piece.”