Aiken Technical College received a $2.45 million grant from the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) competitive grant program for the expansion of the College’s nationally unique Tower Installation training program. 

The funding was announced Monday by Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as part of $450 million in grants awarded nationwide to train Americans and connect them with businesses looking for skilled workers. 

ATC’s Tower Installation program, which launched in November 2013 as the first training program of its kind in the southeastern United States, prepares citizens for entry-level jobs in the growing 4G wireless communication industry. 

“Aiken Technical College is grateful to receive this $2.45 million grant and proud to be able to expand the College’s nationally recognized tower installation program to train technicians in this high-demand field,” said ATC Vice President for Education and Training Dr. Gemma Frock. 

“Industry and workforce growth, coupled with the importance of safety and adequate training in the wireless tower installation industry, are central to ATC’s commitment to serving this important need and simultaneously bringing opportunities to the workforce of our region.”

The TAACCCT grant program is co-administered by the Department of Labor and Department of Education.  The grant is part of an effort to provide community colleges and other institutions with funds to partner with employers to expand and improve their ability to offer training programs for in-demand careers like information technology, health care, energy and advanced manufacturing. 

ATC’s existing tower installation program produces entry-level authorized climbers through an intensive 5-week, 16-credit hour program.  The grant will allow the College to expand the Tower Installation I certificate program to include multiple stackable credentials that can lead to an Associate of Applied Science degree. 

After completion of the existing Tower Installation I certificate on campus, these industry-valued credentials will be offered in a convenient, online format, making it possible for students to complete the remainder of their Associate’s degree from anywhere in the country. 

Three CSRA-based companies that operate regionally and nationally — Advanced Technology Group, Georgia-Carolina Tower Company and Midlands Communications — will support the program in an advisory capacity.  These employers have committed to serve on the program's advisory groups, to assist with the development of curricular materials, and eventually, to help employ the program's graduates. 

ATC was the only institution in South Carolina to receive funding from the $450 million job-driven training grant awards. 

The next session of ATC’s Tower Installation I certificate program will begin on October 13.

For more information about ATC’s Tower Installation program, visit www.atc.edu or call (803) 508-7263.