Education

B2B Stories

Equestrian team seeks business support to compete in national event

$71.81 million in gross output, 1,814 workers, and $19.25 million in labor earnings. Never neigh-say the value of the equestrian industry in Aiken, known as the “Horse Capital of the South.” What began in the late nineteenth century as a winter colony for the Northern elite has become a horse lovers’ dream, beginning in March annually with the $50,000 Grand Prix event at Bruce’s Field. USC Aiken’s Eventing Team is doing their part to continue the tradition which inevitably means, contributing to the local economy. When Carson Hiler Langenberg takes

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Mondays with Rick: Employee Retention–It’s All About Your Culture

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” That quote from a famed management expert, Peter Drucker, is familiar to any of us who have studied how to lead modern organizations. Drucker’s quote implies that your company’s culture is what determines your firm’s success, regardless of how effective your strategy may be. However, I take issue with that interpretation. What I believe Drucker meant is that in order for a company’s strategy to be successful, it must have a company culture that allows it to execute the strategy appropriately. The bottom line is

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B2B Stories

New program creates jumpstart for potential business employees

It’s called “Pounce to Your Profession” and the partnership with Augusta University and Columbia County Schools will improve access to dual enrollment. The program is structured so that AU professors and instructors will travel to high schools in Columbia County to teach college-level courses to interested students. While dual enrollment isn’t new, it generally requires interested high school students to travel to the college campus for classes. An agreement signed last Wednesday by Augusta University President, Brooks Keel and Columbia County Superintendent, Steven Flynt changes that. “This is a great

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B2B Stories

CSRA at the forefront of tackling impending doctor shortages

Aiken Regional Medical Centers will be attracting, training, and retaining doctors through a new Internal Medicine program. Why is this important for attracting businesses to the CSRA? Quality of life which includes affordable housing, good schools, and medical care are on the shortlist for prospective new businesses. The bottom line is this program will help address estimated physician shortages. Primary care, internal medicine, and emergency care doctors are at the top of the in-demand list. A recent report released by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) declared that the

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B2B Stories

The future of cancer treatment in the CSRA is here

There isn’t a single business, employee, or family in the CSRA that hasn’t been touched by cancer. The number of doctors who treat cancer is shrinking as the need for cancer treatment is growing. But the future of cancer treatment in our area is getting a boost from the Georgia Cancer Center’s mobile lab. The center brought its mobile lab to Richmond County’s A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School where students are training to join the healthcare industry. The timing is great considering the demand for cancer treatment

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B2B Stories

CSRA partnership touted as “huge win” for global security and workforce development

Augusta University and Savannah River National Laboratory have sealed a partnership for workforce development, education, and technology, all with a focus on cybersecurity. “This is a huge win because this is one of our fastest-growing areas,” AU Provost, Neil MacKinnon explained. “We have over 700 students now in our school. This provides real-world internships for them and obviously meets the workforce needs of a local employer as well. So yeah, it’s definitely a win for us and will help us continue to grow and I think increase our national prominence

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B2B Stories

Local Chamber to offer educational classes for business owners

Business owners often wear many hats: customer service representative, human resources professional, and marketing manager, just to name a few. But the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce wants to equip local business owners with the skills they need to handle many of those roles effectively. Next week, the Chamber will begin offering its Business Institute, a four-part series of sessions that will cover a variety of topics, at the Columbia County Performing Arts Center in Evans. The program is being sponsored by SRP Federal Credit Union and Savannah River Nuclear

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Mondays with Rick: CSRA Economic Development: The Holes that Need to be Filled

In my previous two columns for this newsletter, I discussed many of the positive aspects of the CSRA when it comes to economic development. Remember, when we discuss an area’s potential for economic development, we have to consider the aspects of that area that would attract existing businesses to move or expand to that area and the area’s ability to provide an environment that stimulates the creation of new businesses. In my first column on March 20, I provided a number of reasons as to why the CSRA is a

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Construction projects that will grow workforce development for jobs

Ambitious projects at Aiken Technical College and the Aiken County Public School District will create new pathways for workforce development. Aiken Tech will build a new, state-of-the-art Nursing Education Center. The school district will replace its aging Career and Technology Center with a new facility. The combination will allow both institutions to expand educational programs to train future job seekers in myriad fields. The school district has started looking at fields that are in demand and growing. “We’ve talked about a few specifics, particularly with cyber,” said Superintendent King Laurence.

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B2B Stories

Local Chamber of Commerce to host leadership academy

Since 2019, the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce has partnered with local business and community leaders to prepare rising Aiken County ninth graders for life after high school. The Chamber is currently accepting applications for its 2023 Junior Leadership Academy. During the two-week program, which will meet in June, students will participate in a variety of activities, such as college and career exploration, a community service project, and leadership training. “It’s helping them with the transition from middle school to high school, which is stressful, I can imagine,” said Chamber

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