General Information

TBDD offers a variety of training programs and courses as part of a lifelong learning process. The programs are available to the general public, business, and industry through short and long courses, seminars, workshops, and conferences on the ATC campus or at company sites.

Registration and Enrollment

TBDD courses are available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Students must be sixteen years of age or older or have the written permission of a parent or guardian and school principal.

Registration, which is available Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), begins with a visit or call to the Office of Training and Business Development (803-593-9954, ext. 1230). Trained staff provide information on individual courses and assist students with registration. To secure a place in a class, applicants must pay fees at the time of registration.

Special Note: Aliens unlawfully present in the United States are not eligible to attend any of South Carolina’s public institutions of higher learning. Each person seeking to enroll in one of the colleges within the South Carolina Technical College System must sign an affidavit stating that he or she is a U.S. citizen, a Permanent Resident, or an alien that is lawfully present in the United States.

Tuition and Fees

Student fees for each course or seminar vary according to the cost of instruction; therefore, the fees are included in the schedules published each semester and are available for download at www.atc.edu. The College accepts payment of TBDD tuition and fees by cash, check, Visa and Mastercard, or purchase order.

Refund Policies

TBDD refund policy is subject to change.

1. Should TBDD cancel a course, TBDD refunds the full fee with no action required by the student.
2. A student who withdraws from a TBDD course 72 hours before the course start date receives an 85% refund of the course fee.
3. A student who withdraws from a TBDD course on or after three days prior to the course start date receives no refund. Under special circumstances, however, the student may appeal to the Dean of TBDD. If the Dean determines that extenuating circumstances exist over which the student had no control and which the student could not reasonably foresee, then a full or partial refund may be granted after the class starts.

Attendance Policy

TBDD students are expected to follow Aiken Technical College’s Attendance Policy in all classes with the exception of courses where government or other agencies dictate specific attendance criteria. These exceptions will be listed in the syllabus given to students at the beginning of each course.

Programs and Courses

TBDD offers courses in health care occupations, professional skills, transportation, leadership and management, industrial and technical skills, and lean skills. Experienced professionals who understand both the needs of the individual and the demands of business and industry conduct all TBDD courses.

Year-round scheduling provides the student with the opportunity to enhance or upgrade job skills as well as to develop new ones. Courses are taught in varied modalities, including traditional classroom settings, online, and blended learning. In addition to a wide range of offerings, TBDD customizes many courses and programs for presentation at company sites.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

CEUs are awarded to students who successfully complete our courses. CEUs are recognized nationally and are defined as 10 contact hours of class participation in an organized continuing education program. Certificates are available for a fee for students earning an “S” (satisfactory) in any occupational advancement class. Certificates must be requested within 30 days of completion of class requirements.

Note: Students do not receive academic credits for completion of a TBDD course except in specified courses with articulation agreements (see course syllabi).

WorkKeys

Since 1997, ATC/TBDD has adopted the use of WorkKeys, an EEOC compliant process developed by ACT, Inc. The WorkKeys process is being used throughout the United States in business and industry and in public schools. WorkKeys provides a common language for educators, businesses, and industries. South Carolina became a WorkKeys state in 2012. Employers throughout the state will use WorkKeys scores as part of the hiring process.

ATC utilizes WorkKeys in our hiring process to ensure qualified employees to serve our students and our community. According to ACT, employees must have skills and knowledge in eight areas to successfully perform their jobs:

Reading for Information	(RI)
Applied Mathematics	(AM)
Applied Technology	(AT)
Locating Information	(LI)
Listening for Understanding	(LU)
Business Writing	(BW)
Teamwork	(T)
Workplace Observation	(WO)

In addition employers value employees with soft skills such as critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving. ACT assesses these skills in the WorkKeys Personality, Integrity and Fit assessments.

ACT certified WorkKeys profilers facilitate a process in which experienced employees identify the skills and skill levels required to perform their job. As a result of this process, a job “profile” is established for that specific position. This profile identifies which of the nine skill areas are needed to perform the job and at what skill level employees must perform to be successful at an entry and superior performance level. Assessments are given to incumbent workers or job applicants to see if they meet the profile standard. This profile can be used for pre-employment hiring, skills gap training, and curriculum development.