Funds will go toward TCL’s workforce training center being planned for the college’s Bluffton campus
The Technical College of the Lowcountry has received a $1 million appropriation from Jasper County to go toward the construction of the college’s planned workforce training center.
“We are so happy about the decision you made to support the college and the construction of the Arthur E. Brown Regional Workforce Training Center,” said TCL President Dr. Richard Gough who was on hand along with Jasper County council members for a check presentation held Jan. 21 at TCL’s New River Campus.
Gough said that while the college has seen increased enrollment numbers, it still has work to do to prepare for the growth that is coming to the region.
“And we know Jasper County is going to be at the center of the growth,” he added.
TCL broke ground on the training center earlier this year following a $10 million appropriation from the State of South Carolina in 2023, part of a total $21 million in combined support from the state and Beaufort County. When completed, the new facility will feature 50,000 square feet of space with a capacity for 850 students.
Jasper County Council Chairman John Kemp agreed with Gough and called the appropriation an investment in Jasper County’s future.
“When companies come here, they look at the population, they look at the training and the ability to train,” Kemp said. “The Arthur E. Brown Regional Workforce Training Center will do just that.”
Also attending Tuesday’s presentation were members of TCL’s Area Commission, TCL Foundation and staff members. The announcement follows a similar presentation held in December, in which the City of Hardeeville presented TCL with a $150,000 grant to go toward the construction of the training center.
The total cost for the center is estimated to run $26 million with funding expected to come from other local governments and private sources, or funds raised by TCL’s Foundation.
