Free tuition to help employers
To help feed area businesses with fresh talent and help expand the hiring pool for employers, beginning in January 2022, South Carolina citizens interested in pursuing a degree in a high-demand field at one of the state’s 16 technical colleges can do so free of charge.
The program, Workforce Scholarships for the Future, covers the cost of tuition and required fees for students enrolled in fields including manufacturing, health care, computer science/information technology, distribution and logistics or construction.
Trident Technical College has campuses in Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley Counties.
The scholarship will cover tuition and fees after applying all other scholarships or grants. Students do not have to apply for Workforce Scholarships for the Future. The scholarship will automatically be applied for students enrolled in a qualified program after applying all other scholarships and grants.
Representatives from Dorchester County for Economic Development said most of Trident Tech’s associate degree, diploma and certificate programs prepare graduates to enter the workforce after program completion, so thousands of students will be eligible to receive a scholarship.
New nonstop service in 2022
In an announcement from the Charleston International Airport, a new non-stop service from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport will begin on April 7, 2022 by way of Suncountry Airlines.
Introductory fares are as low as $89 one-way. The announcement is part of a larger expansion by the airline, as it announced 11 nonstop routes and welcomed seven new airports to its growing network. Representatives form Charleston International said the new flight will operate twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays.
“With more folks eager to resume leisure travel, we’re excited to be able to offer them another option to get away this spring and summer to enjoy the historic and charming city of Charleston, S.C.,” said Sun Country Airlines Chief Revenue Officer Grant Whitney in a prepared statement. “We know there is pent-up demand for convenient, affordable travel, and we’re here to help folks enjoy the vacations they’ve been dreaming about.”
Dredging project to be finished in 2022
The South Carolina Ports Authority announced the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project is on track to achieve a 52-foot depth in 2022, making it deepest harbor on the East Coast — up from the current 45-foot depth.
The entrance channel is also being deepened to 54 feet, up from 47 feet.
SCPA representatives said the 52-foot depth enables mega container ships to call on the Port of Charleston any time during any tide. The deepening project is crucial to SC Ports remaining globally competitive as record cargo volumes and bigger ships continue to flow through the Port of Charleston.
The $565 million deepening project is fully funded through state and federal dollars and began in 2011. The SCPA said the project began with a study from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which determined a federal interest in the deepening of Charleston Harbor and cited the project as the best value for the money.
