By Betsy Finklea
Dr. Kyle Wagner, president of Northeastern Technical College, was the guest speaker at the Dillon County Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet on Thursday, February 2nd.
Wagner was introduced by Dan Bozard, chairman of the Northeastern Technical College board.
Wagner said NETC services three counties -Chesterfield, Marlboro, and Dillon.
The average wage in Chesterfield County is $35,700. In Marlboro County, it is $39,829, and in Dillon County, it is $30,500. The average household wage in Chesterfield County is $45,000. It is $30,000 in Marlboro County and $28,000 in Dillon County. The per capita wage in Dillon County is $14,000, approximately $4,000 below Chesterfield County.      
Wagner said after learning of these numbers that he said Dillon had to be the number one priority. He said they had to do something to reverse this.
Wagner said they took a look at the educational attainment in Dillon County. Only nine percent of the population in Dillon County has a bachelor’s degree. He said from an educational standpoint they need to tackle the problem. He said the board is really supporting the effort.
Wagner said when he was working in Texas, they did a great deal with dual enrollment where high school students can earn college credit while in high school. He said last year there, 250 students got an associate’s diploma and a high school diploma at the same time.
Wagner said that the average wage of someone with an A.A.S. degree is $32,000-$42,000.
Wagner said they came up with 2022 Plan were 90 percent of all high school students will have received some college.
Wagner himself was the first person in his family to go to college having decided to go at the age of 38. He said at NETC they want to get into the high schools. He said they want to become mentors to the students who have not had family members who attended college.
“College is for everyone,” said Wagner. He said they will teach students how to learn.
“Every student is college material,” said Wagner. “Every student needs access to college.”
Wagner said he is requesting funds to expand the Dillon college and for the equipment to keep them on the cutting edge and be employees of the 21st century.
Wagner said they are working with four different universities to help their students obtain bachelor’s degrees. For example, they are working with the College of Charleston on logistics, a program they are developing for the inland port.
Wagner said that before he arrived a new program had not been submitted in 10 years. He has submitted 12 since he recently arrived and will be rolling out two programs every month.    
       Wagner said all of this ties back to dual enrollment. They have developed a “one semester to work” program. The first one being held in Dillon is CNC. This is the first program that can be completely finished in Dillon without having to go to another location.   
       Wagner said the next program coming is LPN. He said they have the space to do that.
       With the logistics program, they will give students an opportunity to complete their associate’s degree while in high school and then complete their bachelor’s degree through the College of Charleston in Dillon.
       They have started working on a management bachelor’s degree program with the University of South Carolina and have submitted their plan to the Higher Education council.
       The goal is to get access to the students who all need access to college education. He said right now there are 1,669 students in Dillon.
       Wagner said they have lowered tuition charged to high school students to 50 percent of the credit hour rate which is $80 per credit hour and lottery funds cover $90 of that $80.
       Wagner said if 90 percent of the high school students took four classes, it would amount to 18,000 credit hours and $2.9 million in tuition savings to the residents of Dillon County.
       Wagner said if the 370 students at the Dillon Technology Center completed the one semester to work program, their average wage would be $37,000, and it would amount to $13+ million in wages total for these students.
       Wagner said they are working to create a labor pool that can meet the demands of 21st century companies. He said the inland port is very important and companies are looking at ways to leverage the port. He said the inland port will be phenomenal for the region.  
       Wagner emphasized in his closing that every student deserves an education. He said that NETC will change the educational attainment of Dillon County citizens and is committed to making it happen.