Vulcan Materials Company organized their 2nd South Carolina Clay Shoot on October 8, 2019 at the Clinton House Plantation to raise money for a very important workforce development initiative.  Since there is such a desperate need for equipment operators in all facets of the construction industry, the money raised will go toward funding the Tri-County Technical College Heavy Equipment Operator training program to serve as a talent pipeline for the construction industry.

The sporting clay shoot began not just to provide funding for the program, but to start the conversation with industry leaders on bringing the entire construction industry together to develop a program that will recruit and train workers for the long-term viability of the industry.  In 2018, the inaugural year, there were 108 participants who raised over $47,000.  This year there were 156 participants who competed—with a record number of 49 sponsors raising over $66,000 for the beneficiary, Tri County Technical College Foundation.

Winners were as follows:  

First place team, Southway Crane

1st Place - Southway Crane - Todd Arbaugh, Don Arbaugh, Willie Allman, Daniel Oswalt

2nd Place - Upland Wings - Russ Hightower, Heath Bragg, Cam Parker, Jalen Bragg

3rd Place - Metso - Jason Russell, Rick Allen, John Aultman, Scott Merck

Best Shooter - Daniel McCullugh - Tindall Corporation

Best Shooter, Daniel McCullugh

Tri-County has developed a proven program but needed the construction industry’s support. The idea is that once this program is established it can be emulated at Technical Colleges throughout the state to begin developing the pipeline of trained operators in each market area.

As Mary Corley, Program Manager for Highway Construction at Tri-County Technical College stated, “setting up this Equipment Operator program would not have been possible without the industry's support. The $47,000 in proceeds from the 2018 Clay Shoot gave Tri-County Technical College the leverage to get the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant of over $245,000.” 

Before the Vulcan fundraiser and the ARC grant, Tri-County had to lease equipment to provide this type of training, and the tuition was over $10,000 per student.  Due to the funds raised, the training was made possible, affordable and accessible, cutting tuition by over half.  The inaugural class of students began the Heavy Equipment Operator Program at the Tri-County Technical College campus in Anderson on August 26, 2019.

Article contributed by: Carol Landrum, Manager of Community & Government Relations for the Southeast Division of Vulcan Materials.

For more information about the Tri-County Technical College Foundation's workforce development initiative, please visit their website.To learn more about Vulcan Materials, how you can get involved in their next Clay Shoot fundraiser or to inquire about employment opportunities with Vulcan, please visit their company website.