Midlands Technical College embarks on its 50th year of educating students in Lexington, Richland and Fairfield counties this year. The technical college, with its more than 150 programs, has already seen an 8.5% bump in enrollment from last year, according to the enrollment numbers as of the first day of school.
“It’s a return on investment to come to [Midlands Technical College],” the school’s president, Dr. Greg Little, said.
Students can save thousands of dollars by getting their education or starting their education at a technical school, he said. There’s also a smaller teacher-to-student ratio.
Little also points out that about 80% of graduates stay in the Columbia area so they aren’t just coming and then leaving the Midlands area.
This is Little’s first year as president and he’s looking forward to helping the college “write the first chapter of the next 50 years by spending one-on-one time with people, what they love and what to work on,” he said. “People here are dedicated and have a passion.”
Another unique opportunity is a student research opportunity allowing five students plus a faculty advisor to participate in a student spaceflight experiments program (SSEP) in which they are researching the “microgravity effects the production of calcium oxalate crystals in edible greens,” according to a press release.
This year, they will travel to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch their project blast into space. Midlands Tech is the first and only college in the state chosen to participate in the SSEP, according to the college.
Each campus has its own perks and unique attributes. For instance, the Harbison campus in Irmo hones in on corporate and continuing education in addition to having the Harbison theatre.
“They do a fantastic job of meeting those needs,” Little said.
At the Airport campus in West Columbia, the welding program is popular. It takes about two years to get a certificate or degree and Little explains that welders are in high demand with employers looking to hire someone quickly.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states there were more than 430,000 openings in 2022 across the nation with an average pay at $47,500.
The Airport campus will also receive funding for expansions to its Building Construction Technology program, thanks to a $1 million grant awarded this past summer from The Lowe’s Foundation.
There’s also the Batesburg-Leesville campus where dual enrollment courses are popular with high school students. Students are able to take college courses while in high school and possibly receive a certificate or associate’s degree depending on their course load.
For instance, Little said that one parent commented on how dual enrollment courses saved the family more than $10,000 in college classes. Dual enrollment classes are of no cost to high school students.
Across all the campuses, student ambassadors represent the college on and off campus, Little said.
Student ambassadors serve and help with events by volunteering their time, Permellia Luongo, Midlands Technical College bridge program coordinator, said. They are chosen based on their GPA and then emailed and interviewed for the ambassador program. Ambassadors get a small stipend.
Perla Rocha is a student ambassador and she says they work on helping students around campus, especially on the first day of classes. There are also delegation meetings and committees that need student input, so she and the other ambassadors help with that in addition to the many events hosted by the college that need student representation.
Midlands Technical College is the product of three separate entities merging together in 1974.
“On March 21, 1973, the Columbia Technical Education Center, Midlands Technical Education Center and Palmer College in Columbia merged to form a single, multi-campus college,” according to midlandstech.edu. “This new college operated as three separate entities governed by one local commission through June 1974. On July 1 of that year, the three separate institutions merged to form Midlands Technical College under the guidance of the Richland-Lexington Counties Commission for Technical Education.”