Piedmont Technical College

The need for health care professionals has never been higher. According to The Atlantic, health care last year became the nation’s largest source for jobs for the first time in history. With demand expected to continue growing, median wages can be twice as much as those offered in other industries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that health care employment will continue to...

On the heels of a national report projecting South Carolina will have one of the most serious nursing shortages in the country in the next decade, Piedmont Technical College (PTC) is using the generous $170,000 gift it received late last year from the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation to support the graduation of more students into the pipeline of qualified nurses needed by area health care...

Clay Sprouse’s students recently begged for more than their allotted time in the Piedmont Technical College (PTC) pharmacy technology laboratory. They actually wanted to stay after hours. That was a first. “My students stayed after lab class because they wanted to have more practice,” Sprouse said. “I have never had that happen before. When you get to that point of the day when it’s...

Greenwood native Michala Barnum was able to save a lot of Starbucks money while attending pharmacy tech classes at Piedmont Technical College thanks to Instructor and Program Director Clay Sprouse. “In the morning, if you have an 8 a.m. class, you don’t need to get coffee before you go to class,” she quipped. “He will keep you awake and entertained in class. He has so many stories and...

Yes. “White coat syndrome” is a real thing. It’s when an otherwise non-hypertensive patient’s blood pressure spikes at the doctor’s office, perhaps as a result of anxiety associated with a clinical setting. The same could be said of first-time students who want to major in a health care field but are overwhelmed by the choices. Not to worry. Piedmont Technical College (PTC) has come up...

Army National Guard (ARNG) Sergeant Mesha Triplin is understandably confident. Now attending Piedmont Technical College (PTC) majoring in computer technology, programming concentration, Triplin already is earning money and using her skills on the job a good year before receiving her associate degree. Through her connections at PTC, the ambitious student landed an eight-month paying Information...

His title is Veterans Services Coordinator, but Ryan Shelton-Benson really acts as a full-service concierge for veterans or active duty military. He works diligently to customize his efforts to the needs of each individual. “The most asked question I get is how to use the GI Bill,” he said. “The biggest thing is just directing them. They don’t really understand the system or know what...

Today’s funeral director must juggle myriad personalities, expectations, costs, logistics and special requests as they execute their responsibilities associated with honoring the memory of a loved one. Serving families with grace and empathy is at the core of funeral services education at Piedmont Technical College (PTC). “Funeral Services is a ministry,” said Dedrick Gantt, funeral...