York Technical College’s mission statement says it all: Building Our Community Through Maximizing Student Success. Simply put, York Tech’s Success = Education + Economy. The notion of an educonomy, a term that gained steam in educational policy circles in 2014, signals a new vision for South Carolina’s – and the nation’s – future economic health and job creation.

With job openings nationwide reaching a 15-year high in 2014, experts believe that matching the skilled needs employers have is the solution to a sustained, robust economic recovery. This solution is achieved through dialogue and the successful collaboration of educational institutions, students, educators and employers on the lookout for skilled talent.

In an educonomy, America’s educational system – including K-12 districts, two-year and four-year colleges and universities – would work collaboratively at every opportunity with employers and job creators to match the skills our workforce requires. This approach aligns students’ skills and interests with the career paths that lead to fulfilling careers, supplies companies with the workforce they need to grow and, ultimately, drives the economy.

York Tech is in a unique position to bridge this gap through its facilitation of conversations and successful history of partnerships with business and industry; these efforts improve the career readiness of students who enroll with the College or continue their education in four-year degree programs:

In fact, many York Tech initiatives and innovations are already driving an educonomy mindset, including the following:

• York Tech is working to broaden work-based learning opportunities that connect students with local companies. Students receive valuable on the job training while continuing their college education.  Work-based learning takes on many different shapes and sizes including internships, co-op opportunities, registered apprenticeships, and our Tech Scholar program.
• Partnering with local economic development teams to identify target business sectors for our region, York Tech strategically aligns programs to meet the needs of both existing and potential new industry.  This alignment ensures that the program offerings of the College are relevant to the needs of our area industry.
• Dual Enrollment allows for area high schools and career centers to provide opportunities for students to earn college credit and gain exposure to careers with local industry. Students have the chance to become involved with youth apprenticeship programs which allows them to pursue their education while gaining valuable, hands-on work experience.

A unified effort to bring together educators, businesses and students – our future workforce – will make a powerful impact on both the regional and state economy.

Are you ready to return to college and train for a high-demand, high-wage career? Explore nearly 80 programs at yorktech.edu/programs-and-classes/