Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education and Economic Development promotes economic development through a variety of training opportunities, including licensure and certification, career renewal and enhancement, and customized programs. The Division also provides consulting services to improve the competitiveness and quality of area businesses. To capture the interests of youth and adults, the Division offers diverse and creative experiences for lifelong learning.

The Division’s programs and training enable individuals to keep up-to-date in their fields, embark on new career tracks or learn for the joy of personal enrichment. On campus or on-site, custom-designed training programs and consulting services help business, industry and governmental organizations remain on the cutting edge. Continuing Education courses are held days, evenings and weekends on all three TTC campuses, at various sites throughout the area and online via the Internet.

The Division offers cost-effective and affordable quality training using the latest technologies available. The instructors speak plain English, not technical jargon, and they provide individual attention.

While the Division’s courses and seminars do not carry traditional college credit, the Division awards Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to students who successfully complete qualifying courses. The CEU is a nationally recognized and accepted measure of successful completion of professional training. One CEU is awarded for each 10 contact hours of instruction completed. A cumulative record of CEUs earned is retained at the College and is available on request. Certificates of Achievement are awarded for successful completion of most courses. Only Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory grades are recorded for Continuing Education courses and programs.

The Division is located in Buildings 910 and 920 in the Complex for Economic Development on the Main Campus. The Complex contains a variety of flexible, multipurpose instructional areas that house a wide range of training programs and accommodate group sessions for up to 150 attendees. The classrooms, seminar rooms and hands-on labs are equipped for multimedia instruction. In Building 910, a catering kitchen permits on-site meal service for special programs.

The Complex facilitates the delivery of custom-tailored training and consulting. This training includes basic skills, health care, information technology, industrial maintenance, management and organizational development, total quality systems and computer-integrated manufacturing. The staff assists in needs and training analyses and develops custom training programs scheduled at times and locations convenient to businesses, industries or agencies. The Complex houses the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Industrial Maintenance Technology Center that provide a wide array of training services for industrial clients.

The Division delivers its programs and services through three training departments: Manufacturing, Industrial and Construction Trades; Career, Personal and Professional Development; and Health, Human Services, Environmental and Safety.

Manufacturing, Industrial and Construction Trades
This department provides local companies with concentrated review courses to prevent technical obsolescence, as well as presenting the latest in technical and scientific developments. The Division’s instructors are recruited from industry, governmental agencies and higher education faculty to provide the optimum solutions to client training needs.

Working with your company, TTC can assess your employees’ skills through the use of various testing instruments to determine your training needs. The results of these analyses provide accurate measurements of knowledge levels so courses can be designed to increase the performance of your employees. Noncredit programs as well as programs that can lead to a credit certificate, diploma or an associate degree can be developed. Your employees can take advantage of the College’s many student services. TTC will customize courses to accommodate industrial and organizational needs including skill upgrades, new technology and product introduction, licensing and certification, and work force expansion and replacement. 

TTC established  the Industrial Skills and Apprenticeship Training Center to address the need for well-trained maintenance operator technicians. The Center is located on the Main Campus in the Industrial Maintenance Technology Center and contains a Mechanical Skills Lab, an Electrical Lab and a Predictive and Preventive Skills Lab. These labs provide state-of-the-art technology and training for both small and large companies. The Center’s credit and noncredit courses are offered in flexible formats. Courses are available days, nights and weekends. For smaller companies that do not have enough employee trainees to fill a course, TTC will facilitate partnerships through which they can jointly participate in the programs.

TTC offers education, training and consulting services to the manufacturing community to help manufacturers improve productivity and global competitiveness. Training is spearheaded by a knowledgeable and highly experienced staff using state-of-the-art labs including the Advanced Manufacturing Center, the Process Analysis and Control Lab, the Industrial Maintenance Technology Lab, the Robotic Welding Lab, and the Machine Tool Technology Lab. TTC offers courses in quality systems, process analysis, computer numerical control (CNC) machining, programmable logic controllers (PLC), supply chain management, production and inventory control, lean manufacturing, and purchasing management.

The College partners with Lehigh University to provide access to master’s degree programs via distance education.  Through the Lehigh Educational Satellite Network (LESN), TTC links Charleston-area professionals to advanced courses leading to either master’s degrees or professional development. The following programs are available via satellite broadcast: chemical engineering, chemistry, molecular biology, pharmaceutical chemistry, polymer science and engineering, quality engineering, manufacturing systems engineering and polymer science.

In the area of construction trades, TTC offers courses in building maintenance, electrical building code, general contracting and residential building. All of these courses prepare students for various licensure examinations.

The College’s affiliation with the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) provides access to an outstanding, nationwide network to help manufacturers improve competitiveness and workforce skills. SCMEP focuses primarily on three areas: Lean Manufacturing, Quality Systems, and Environmental, Health and Safety Systems.

This department is also the focal point for the College’s administration of the retraining portion of the South Carolina Enterprise Zone Act (EZA). The EZA allows manufacturing companies to apply to the South Carolina Department of Commerce (SCDOC) for EZA training plan approval. TTC assists companies in preparaing these plans and applications. After receiving TTC and SCDOC approval, companies can request refunds from employee withholding taxes for up to one half the cost of approved training. Training must be delivered or sponsored by the College and is limited to $500 annually for each production and maintenance employee through first-line supervisor.

Career, Personal and Professional Development
Career, Personal and Professional Development training is available via short courses, seminars and web-based courses for individuals to enhance their personal skills portfolios for new careers, for underemployed individuals, for multi-skilled workforce development and for those seeking to expand their interests, hobbies, and improve their quality of life. 

The Division's computer and information systems training can open new doors to the rapidly changing world of information technology. With courses ranging from basic computer skills to advanced certifications, such as the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Fiber Optics, Computer Security and A+, Continuing Education provides training opportunities that allow individuals and organizations to fully utilize the potential of information technology through one-on-one tutoring, public courses, or customized training at your facility or ours. Training areas include: AutoCAD, GIS, software applications, basic personal computer skills, design and Internet, graphics and desktop publishing, networking/operating systems, programming, and Web site applications.

Professional Development courses and certificate programs include: architecture, automotive, finance, foreign languages, hospitality and tourism, insurance, real estate and appraisal, international trade, small business, teacher recertification and test preparation. Organizational development courses include: communication, customer service, human resources, leadership development, management, strategic planning, and team development.  These courses also can be customized to optimize your employees’ proficiency levels. 

Internet technology allows you to take self-paced or instructor-led courses anywhere at any time.  The Division offers more than 400 online courses including: business administration, computer technology, design and media certifications, entrepreneurship, personal enrichment, Internet, project management, the arts, history, writing and more.

To capture the interests of youth, the Division offers Summer Camps for students in grades 1-12 to provide challenging, new learning opportunities in math, science, computers, leadership, hospitality and tourism, and robotics technology. To provide lifelong learning opportunities for adults, the Division offers diverse and creative experiences in courses such as culinary arts, hospitality and tourism, interior and floral design, golf and others.

Health, Human Services, Environmental and Safety
This  department is a leader in training individuals who will work in unlicensed healthcare occupations or who require certification or recertification in environmental and regulatory programs. Courses offered are: OSHA and EPA recognized programs in Asbestos, water, wastewater, Air Quality and OSHA mandated programs such as Hazwoper Technican, Operator and annual refreshers.  The department also provides legal, law enforcement and horticulture continuing education courses.  

In healthcare, the department offers certificate training programs in nursing, medical coding and transcription, emergency medicine, radiology, medical assisting and dental office management.  Each program ensures that all students obtain entry-level competency at completion.   Many of the programs are approved by state and national regulatory agencies which enable students to receive certification.  A combination of classroom, laboratory and clinical experiences are used in all programs to achieve stated objectives.

The department's instructors and consultants are all industry specialists and authorized by appropriate regulatory agencies to provide certifications to participants successfully completing their training courses.

Continuing Education Online  Registration: Visit TTC's Web site and click TTC Express>TTC Express for Continuing Education.  Payment is required at the time of registration.  For technical assistance, send an e-mail to ce.reg@tridenttech.edu or call 843.574.6152.

Continuing Education Fees and Refunds Fees: Continuing Education fees vary with course offerings. Refer to the course schedule for individual course fees. Continuing Education fees will be assessed in addition to any fees for curriculum courses taken.

Senior Citizen Enrollment in Continuing Education Programs: Legal residents of South Carolina age 60 or over who are not employed full time may qualify to enroll at a reduced rate in certain courses once they reach a minimum paying enrollment. Senior citizens may register on the day a course begins, on a space-available basis. In some courses, you will be required to purchase materials.

Refund Policy: TTC reserves the right to cancel any course because of insufficient enrollment or instructor availability, in which case you will receive a full refund. You will receive a full refund if you cancel 11 or more calendar days before the course begins, or you can transfer your registration to a colleague or associate. You will receive 75 percent of your registration fee if you cancel 10 calendar days before the course starts. No-shows are responsible for the registration fee. No refunds will be given after the course begins.

For information regarding programs and services offered by the Division of Continuing Education and Economic Development, call 843.574.6022. A complete listing of current Continuing Education courses is available on TTC's Web site.