Excerpt from “Engaging ‘young minds’ for workforce pipeline at eSTEAM Sumter Festival,” The Sumter Item, Wednesday-Friday, Oct 7-9, 2026 edition.
by Bruce Mills, The Sumter Item
As part of an increased focus the last couple years to attract more middle- and high-school students to eSTEAM Sumter, Central Carolina has had a greater presence and has branded its festival experience as “Titan Trades and Tech.”
According to college spokeswoman Nicole Miles, at least 15 programs of study were on display Saturday at its Health Sciences Center on South Main and about 20 staff members.
The college had nearly 200 visitors and about 70 indicated they had the intention to enroll in CCTC, Miles added.
At last year’s festival, about 45 teenagers and young adults who registered for more information are enrolled in classes now.
Five of the college’s six industrial programs were part of the displays to include mechatronics, HVAC, engineering design, automotive technology and welding.
Lucas Bishop is CCTC’s new welding program manager and has served as the pipe welding instructor at the college for a decade. He is also a 2014 graduate of the welding program with an associate degree.
Before enrolling at the college, Bishop graduated from Sumter High and completed the two-year welding program at Sumter Career and Technology Center.
According to Bishop, the college offers a one-year certificate in welding, a second-year certificate that focuses on pipe welding and also the associate degree.
Graduates with the first-year certificate can make $15 to $20 per hour in starting pay in local welding production jobs, depending on the employer, he said. Completers with the second-year certification in pipe welding can earn from the mid-$20s or even higher.
For incoming students, Miles added, the college does offer traditional financial aid, lottery tuition assistance and CCTC’s foundation arm also has specific scholarships for the welding program.
To read the full article about Esteam, “Engaging ‘young minds’ for workforce pipeline at eSTEAM Sumter Festival” pick up the Wednesday-Friday, Oct 7-9, 2026 edition of the The Sumter item or visit www.theitem.com.
Featured in the photo: Richard Boone, recruiter; Becky Ratz, administrative specialist; Ericka McClam; recruiter. Photo by Deanna Burress.