Community Partners

Aiken Technical College has been privileged to partner with business, industry, education and economic development leaders over the course of its existence. Through these partnerships, students have benefited through scholarships, hands-on work experience and continuous training, while the community has benefited from having a highly skilled, highly trained workforce whose skills may be updated on demand.

Our newest initiative, Within Reach, is a partnership with the Aiken County Public School District to increase the number of Aiken County citizens who possess a higher education credential. This initiative was birthed out of sessions held in the fall of 2014 with district and College leaders to brainstorm ways to achieve that goal.

Three primary goals were developed: identify high school students who do not have a post-secondary plan for after graduation; provide students and their families with information to financially plan for college; and help ease the financial burden of college for Aiken County families.

For the latter, the Aiken Technical College Foundation created the Within Reach Scholarship and has received funding from many community partners and supporters, including a $25,000 donation by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. For the 2016-17 school year, 50-$1,000 scholarships were awarded to those graduating from high school in June 2016.

Our College has also partnered with many community organizations that help support our students through services such as the Aiken-Augusta Warrior Project. This organization provides a representative who has a presence on-campus to connect our student veterans and dependents of military families to resources in the community. We also partner with AWP to offer student veterans the Veterans to Success program, a great opportunity for student veterans to work part-time with area industry while pursuing their education.

One of ATC’s most recognizable partnerships with business and industry is the Technical Scholars Initiative. Technical Scholars is a concentrated effort, in partnership with business and industry, to recruit, educate and graduate technicians in fields where workforce shortages exist.

Qualified students may receive a full scholarship in one of several identified technical programs, including engineering graphics, machine tools, welding, computer technology, industrial maintenance and electronics engineering technology. Students also receive work experience with leading employers and may receive excellent employment opportunities after graduation.

Among the business and industry currently partnered with ATC through the Technical Scholars Initiative is Bridgestone/Firestone South Carolina, Michelin North America, Shaw Industries, SCE&G, ASCO, Metso Paper, Parsons, BAE Systems, and Hubbell/The Ohio Brass Company.

Aiken Technical College’s Workforce and Business Development Division is particularly involved in developing community partners that not only benefit our students, but also enhance economic development throughout the region. Among them are:

AGY
Aiken Electric Cooperative
Augusta Newsprint Co
Augusta Service Co
Austin Industrial
BAE Systems
Bridgestone Firestone SC
Carlisle Tire and Wheel
Carter Electric Co Inc
City of Aiken
Club Car
CVS Distribution Center
Cytec Surface Specialties
David Travis
DSM Chemicals North America, Inc.
E. Phelon Company, Inc.
Electrolux
General Chemical
GlaxoSmithKline
IFF
Intellect
Kimberly Clark
Medical College of Georgia
Monsanto
National Park Service
Newman Technology
Owens Corning
Pactiv Advanced Packaging Solutions
Parsons
SC Metal Products
Shaw AREVA MOX Services, Inc.
Shaw Industries
SKF Automotive
Solvay
TTX
Unicco
Zeus Industrial Products Inc.

The Aiken Technical College Foundation has also partnered with a number of business, industry and community leaders that ultimately benefit the College as a whole. They include: