COLUMBIA, S.C. – Vocational-focused community colleges in South Carolina and nationwide are seeing an increase in admissions.
Enrollment boost
According to The National Student Clearinghouse, enrollment grew 16% in trade schools from 2022-2023.
It mirrors a similar trend at Midlands Technical College’s welding program in Columbia, SC.
Recent data from the school found a 22% increase in admissions in the 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 academic years.
Caleb Fulwood, the Welding Program Director at Midlands Tech, said it’s because of the growing costs of a traditional four-year college education.
“The cost of tuition versus the reward of high payout in the end, I think is what keeps the popularity in the program,” Fulwood said.
The Education Data Initiative found the cost of college has more than doubled in the 21st century.
Chris Dinkins, Director of Career and Technical Education for Richland School District One works directly with high school teachers and students to boost interest in trade-related fields.
Dinkins said he also sees an increase in young people going into trades after walking the stage with their diploma.
“You know as long as we teach students to have pride in their work, then those industries won’t suffer,” Dinkins said.
Eric Bush was one of those students. Bush is now enrolled in the welding program at Midlands Tech set to graduate in December.
He said he wasn’t sure what to do when senior year of high school ended. He leaned on his passion for welding. Bush said he got into the trade because of his older brother and is confident in his choice.
“I always just kind of found it really fun,” Bush said. “But now, I mean, I’m going to turn it into a career, get my CWI and make some big money.”
According to Indeed, welders in South Carolina make an average salary of $45,879. The wage was also an important factor for welding student Brooke Costner.
“That’s what we came to do for welding, make some good money and travel,” Costner said.
She’s also one of the only girls in her welding classes.
“I like that it’s hands-on and as a female, a lot of times they don’t expect us to want to get in here and work,” Costner said. “But a lot of us women like to get down and dirty too.”
Combatting a shortage
The increase in admissions also comes at a time when the United States is facing an ongoing shortage of skilled labor workers.
A Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte study said 1.9 million manufacturing jobs could be left unfilled in the next decade.
Fulwood said most welders are aging out and beginning to retire. He said the shortage is evident, but the program at Midlands Tech has a 95% placement rate for graduates.
Students like Bush and Costner said they are training with high quality, real-world equipment. They have the hopes of filling empty welding spots and keeping the industry sustained.
