Guess again and fly higher I’m asked often by recent engineering graduates if they should pursue a professional engineering (PE) registration. Most of the questions come from graduates entering the aerospace field. When I was beginning my engineering career, I wrestled with the same question. The process…
From the state’s expanding aerospace manufacturing and supplier infrastructure in the Charleston area, to investments and growth in automotive manufacturing throughout the state, South Carolina’s manufacturing sector represents the largest industry cluster in the State’s economy. With the sustained growth, the area’s extended supply chain of…
Selecting the best person to lead a department, function, or company can be very challenging, particularly in a complex manufacturing environment where the game is always changing. Search firms are an excellent resource for identifying new talent but resumes and recruitment interviews provide only surface information about…
Ask any business or plant manager what the organization’s single most important asset is and the answer will invariably be an educated and well-trained workforce. Worker productivity is dictated by job knowledge and the ability to remain motivated and function in a fluid workplace environment. It stands…
South Carolina has been highly successful attracting large, branch manufacturing operations to the state that provide high-paying manufacturing jobs. Well done. But are there other areas that both policy makers and existing manufacturing companies should focus on with similar vigor? In a recent article (1), Jason Zacher,…
While a recent report indicates that only one in five college students who transfer from a community college to a four-year college actually graduates, South Carolina education officials say that’s not the case here. The study by the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia…
Like many states across the country, South Carolina faces ever-growing manufacturing job numbers and an ever-decreasing talent pool. Industry officials and educators alike say the key to filling the workforce pipeline once again relies on letting students understand manufacturing isn’t about just getting by in dirty textile…
New product development (NPD) is about creating knowledge resulting in new products that drive revenue and earnings growth. It is arguably the most important business process and one of the most difficult to manage (1). Why? Because it encompasses a series of workflow, information and decision flow…
Do you expect your company to prosper for the next year, five years and well into the future? For any CEO or business owner, that question is always on your mind. So, how exactly are you going to adapt to your changing environment and re-invent your company…
Contributing Column by: Joel Welch, Greenville Tech Developing a highly skilled, entry-level workforce is critical for driving economic development and keeping companies competitive in today’s environment. Nationwide, communities and companies are tackling this challenge. In many cases, efforts to satisfy industry needs are undertaken independently. Companies will…