Education

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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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AU and USC Aiken launch new online learning programs

Some new students who arrive at Augusta University for the fall semester will be attending in a non-traditional manner. Augusta University Online is up and running, less than a year after AU President, Dr. Brooks Keel announced the project in his State of the University address. Keel also introduced Dr. Marc Austin, hired as Dean of Augusta University Online, who will helm the new offering. The goal was to have Augusta University Online ready for fall 2023. They reached that goal. “We managed to get it out of the gate,

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Consumer Stories

Local job fair is a home run

A career and job fair at SRP Park sponsored by ADP is scheduled for Wednesday, April 12. More than 16 CSRA businesses will be set up from 6-8 pm. Candidates who bring a resume can get a discounted $5 ticket to the game. Businesses will be interviewing candidates for jobs and showcasing the career opportunities available. Among the sponsors and participating businesses are Augusta University, Cintas, EZGO, SRP, Bridgestone, and Jani King. The game will feature the GreenJackets vs the Down East Wood Ducks. It’s a night of baseball and

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Help to keep mind, body, and career healthy

An Augusta University professor has published a book on finding work-life balance and avoiding burnout. Dr. William Hatcher, chair of the Department of Social Sciences in Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, has co-authored a book entitled Work-Life Balance in Higher Education. Though it started as a collection of essays that had been published in the Journal of Public Affairs Education, the publisher urged Hatcher to include additional information, appealing to a broader audience. “When people have more control, reasonable demands and support from their organizations, they tend

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B2B Stories

Local university targets high paying jobs in new online degree program

The University of South Carolina Aiken will offer online bachelor’s degree programs in business administration with concentrations in finance and marketing for the summer 2023 semester. Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs are in the financial and marketing fields. The bachelor’s in business administration, with concentrations in finance and marketing, have been developed to reflect employer needs and prepares students for employment in a variety of career areas. “Our online bachelor’s in business administration program prepares students to meet the

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Consumer Stories

Boost in manufacturing and nursing development programs to benefit CSRA

The U.S. Department of Labor has selected three colleges including Aiken Tech to form a consortium to develop a virtual Workforce Innovation Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Nursing — two sectors the agency identified as priority workforce needs. This comes with a large grant from the DOL to accomplish the task. Piedmont Technical College (PTC) and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (OCtech) are also included in a grant to address the needs of those two sectors. Combined, the three technical colleges are expected to have a big impact on the CSRA and

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Consumer Stories

Technical college offers forklift training program to local inmates

A group of local inmates is now eligible for jobs in the logistics industry, thanks to a partnership between the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and Augusta Technical College. The college recently offered a two-day continuing education forklift certification course to 12 men who were about to be released from jail in Augusta. The detention center paid for the program. The college’s President, Dr. Jermaine Whirl said they chose a program that could be taught at the jail. He said the inmates were very excited about completing that program, which combined

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ABD Extra

More large-scale development headed to North Augusta

A more than 1,700-acre development is reportedly coming to the North Augusta area. Information surfaced with a post on the Twitter feed of Eureka Earth, an Augusta-based company specializing in “shared robotics and autonomous systems.” Its social media and website feature aerial photos, primarily of the Augusta National Golf Club and The Masters tournament. The tweet included a name for the development, Cypress Shoals, and a link to the developer’s website. The website for Cypress Shoals said it will be a multi-generational, mixed-use development that will include residential lots, condominiums

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