Greenville, SC, Students are Primed for Workforce Success

Stephen Stinson

Public schools play a vital role in workforce development in Greenville, SC, by offering programs that prepare students for future, in-demand careers. Through technical education, hands-on training and STEM programs, students obtain the skills and knowledge needed to grow local industries, such as manufacturing, engineering, health care and IT. 

Workforce Development in Greenville: Designed for Success 

Partnering with local businesses, Greenville County Schools helps students gain valuable work experience through internships and job shadowing, ensuring graduates are well-prepared to enter the workforce, contributing to Greenville’s economic growth and attracting more businesses to the region. Fountain Inn High School, for example, was intentionally designed to house automation and engineering career pathways – including classroom space and labs – to meet the specific needs of the advanced manufacturing industry. 

“When the district decided to build the first high school in 50 years, we went to industry and asked them what their workforce needs were. We wanted to know what skills our graduates were lacking and what certifications would be helpful for them to transition into that industry pipeline,” says Maureen Tiller, principal of Fountain Inn High School. “This area down at the lower part of the county is heavy in advanced manufacturing, so it made sense to incorporate that training in the high school.” 

A Skills Player 

In addition to the school’s Institute of Automation and Engineering, Fountain Inn High offers career pathways in areas like health science, accounting and computer science. Students can graduate with industry certifications in mechatronics, machine tool engineering, finance and business, and certified nursing assistant. A dual enrollment partnership with Greenville Technical College allows students to earn college credit toward an associate degree. 

“We align the classes students take in high school to what they’re going to need to do at Greenville Tech to be able to complete a certificate or a degree. They can use that to continue in their career pathways or to continue on to a four-year institution,” Tiller says. 

Tiller cites the teacher education pipeline as an example. Greenville County Schools partnered with Greenville Tech and Clemson University to design a pathway from high school to college for students interested in becoming teachers.

“Students can earn credit from Greenville Tech in high school that can then transfer to Clemson University,” she says. “Greenville offers lots of different opportunities for industry partnership, and we are an important part of that workforce pipeline. We want to partner with them to make sure that we’re providing the best programs possible, but we also want to graduate students that are ready to go to work or ready to go to college.”

Stephen Stinson

Innovating Education

In 2023, Greenville County Schools opened the CTE Innovation Center at Roper Mountain. The center, which offers training for interested students at all the district’s high schools, was designed to meet the growing needs of the aerospace, automotive and manufacturing industries, which play a major role in the region’s economy. 

“We offer project-based learning with the newest technology and industry-grade equipment for student learning, and we offer a wide variety of industry certifications for students to earn before graduation,” says Katie Porter, director of the CTE Innovation Center. 

“On a regular basis, our students are problem-solving, thinking critically, communicating in teams, researching, prototyping and utilizing technology. They are learning the importance of time management, teamwork and conflict resolution,” she says. “As part of our honors curriculum, students present their projects to a panel of industry partners, and we focus on growing students’ abilities to communicate effectively.” 

Porter says partnerships with industry leaders allow students to have meaningful work-based learning experiences that better prepare them for the workforce. 

“We take students on field trips each quarter to expose them to various work environments related to their field and to hear from current workers in that industry,” she says. “Students can apply for youth apprenticeships like the BMW Youth Scholars. They can work during class time as an extension of the classroom or apply for internships during the summer with various partners or through LaunchGVL, our partnership with the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.”