Midlands Tech breaks ground on outdoor welding lab

Midlands Technical College broke ground on an outdoor welding lab, funded in part by a $1.1 million grant from the Truist Foundation, on Thursday, Oct. 29.

The facility, located on the college’s Airport Campus, will expand access to high-demand workforce training and strengthen the college’s ability to prepare students for careers in welding and related industries.

“MTC is undertaking the largest expansion of skilled trades and advanced manufacturing programs in our history,” MTC President Greg Little said in a news release. “This investment from Truist Foundation is another way we can prepare students for high-demand careers while responding quickly to employers’ changing needs.”

The $2.4 million, 7,000-square-foot, outdoor lab is expected to be completed in fall 2027. Featuring an open-concept layout with a steel mezzanine design, the center will provide space for hands-on welding instruction, including outdoor welding activities and training in a setting that closely reflects the working environments students encounter in industry. It will also add jobsite simulations, pipefitting activities and customized training opportunities for industry partners.

“My father supported our family through a career as a pipefitter and welder, so I have seen personally how the skilled trades can create stability and open doors for the next generation,” said Chris Zimmer, market president for Truist. “This new facility will help more students build in-demand skills and pursue meaningful careers, advancing Truist Foundation’s commitment to career pathways and our purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities.”

The planned facility is adjacent to the college’s Welding Technology Center, which opened in 2021 with 64 welding bays, multi-purpose classrooms, a fabrication area and exterior teaching stations. The college is also upgrading its 12-bay welding center on its Fairfield Campus.

“Demand for welding training remains strong in our area. This facility will help us serve more students and expand our applied training in welding and pipefitting with a setting designed to simulate real-world working conditions. That experience will better prepare students for high-demand careers and help local employers meet evolving workforce needs,” said Ray Thomas, dean of MTC’s School of Advanced Manufacturing and Skilled Trades and School of Business. “We thank Truist Foundation for helping us serve more students and offer a wider range of hands-on training that meets the needs of students and expectations of local businesses.”

Midlands Technical College is a six-campus, two-year comprehensive community college serving Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties in South Carolina. For more information, visit midlandstech.edu.