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HGTC Foundation Receives $10,000 Duke Energy Grant
(front row, left to right) Shannon Detzler, HGTC Foundation President & CEO; Davy Gregg, Duke Energy Supervisor of Customer Delivery Operations-Florence; Toney Morris, Duke Energy Supervisor of Customer Delivery Operations-Hartsville; Wayne James, Duke Energy Director of Customer Delivery Area Operations-Lower Pee Dee; Mindy Taylor, Duke Energy Director of Government and Community Relations.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) is pleased to announce the HGTC Foundation recently received a $10,000 Duke Energy Foundation grant in honor of National Lineworker Appreciation Day April 18. The grant will provide assistance to students in covering the costs of tools and protective equipment in the Electrical Lineman Technician program on the Conway Campus.
“We are grateful for the services lineworkers provide to our community year-round and so appreciative of the many ways Duke Energy has been instrumental in the enhancement of the HGTC Lineman Technician program. Many of our students struggle with the ability to pay for additional costs, especially the special safety equipment required for enrollment. Our college and community are reaping the benefits from the support of Duke Energy as we respond to the interest and needs expressed by local industry,” said Dr. Marilyn Murphy Fore, HGTC president.
“The HGTC Foundation is extremely grateful for partners like Duke Energy. This donation exemplifies their commitment to investing in the communities they serve. The funds will go directly to enhancing our lineman program, providing more skilled and qualified workers in our area workforce,” said Shannon Detzler, HGTC Foundation president & CEO.
Duke Energy has been a generous supporter of HGTC through the years.
“We are transforming the energy grid – making strategic, data-driven investments to improve reliability, use more solar and clean energy and provide customers with the intelligent information they need to make better energy choices and save money,” said Mindy Taylor, director of government and community relations for Duke Energy. “These investments will reap benefits for many years to come, but we must increase the talent pipeline for lineworkers here in South Carolina today to build the smart-thinking power grid of tomorrow. Programs like these are absolutely critical for us to be successful in these efforts.”
The next Electrical Lineman class will begin with the summer semester on May 15. There are a limited number of spots available for the summer cohort.
The Electrical Lineman Technician program began in January 2015 following the initial construction of the lineman yard in November 2014. The program prepares students both mentally and physically to have the knowledge, skills, techniques, and professionalism to enter the utility industry and remarkably has a 98% job placement rate. The program is a one semester certificate degree and enrolls six cohorts of 16 students per year.
The purpose of the HGTC Foundation is to raise funds to support the programs, services, and activities of Horry-Georgetown Technical College, its students and employees, and to create and strengthen positive relations between the College and the community.