Part 2: Jobs for a Strong Future.
Statewide Direction and Leadership
My plan to create jobs for South Carolina in the medium-to-long term involves strong and aggressive statewide economic development leadership – with me, as Governor, personally leading the effort. I will establish a new Office of Job Creation that will operate as an economic development swat team under my direction at the Department of Commerce. The goals of this Office of Job Creation are two-fold: the team will be charged with researching and identifying national and international recruitment targets for business development opportunities across the country and abroad that align with South Carolina’s regional strengths. Once opportunities have been identified, the Office of Job Creation will dispatch an appropriate team of SC Ambassadors to actively recruit them to locate in South Carolina. These Ambassadors will include a bi-partisan mix of elected officials, economic development professionals, business leaders, and representatives from the education community, from K-12 to higher-ed to technical colleges. The leadership of the Department of Commerce and the Office of Job Creation will be made up of economic development professionals seasoned in business recruitment and development.
In addition, while my focus as Governor is on the citizens of the State of South Carolina, I’m also keenly aware that the issues we must tackle to be competitive in today’s economy don’t stop at our state line. We will work with leaders in other southern states to address crucial issues like water availability, and road, rail and port infrastructure development and security. And I will keep a close eye on what my colleagues are doing in other states to attract top research and business dollars so that South Carolina stays ahead of our competition.
The Three I’s.
The case that we will make is that South Carolina has an ambitious plan built around the Three I’s – human infrastructure, physical infrastructure and natural/cultural infrastructure.
- Human infrastructure is education beginning with early childhood development and encompassing a public education system based on innovation, a strong university system, and a cutting-edge technical college system – all of which must work together to prepare our workforce for quality jobs.
- Physical infrastructure includes South Carolina’s roads, rails, bridges, transit, electrical grid, water treatment plants, and broadband networks, all of which make our modern lives possible. Strong state infrastructure is critical to our economic growth, global competitiveness, and quality of life. We need to end the bureaucracy that leads to shortsighted investments. We will work with DOT, municipalities, developers and business leaders to develop commerce corridors, using transportation and infrastructure funds to create jobs, promote sound development, create linkages between schools, work, and homes, and protect our sensitive natural areas. Infrastructure investments pay a double dividend. They improve our state’s standing as an attractive business environment while also creating thousands of jobs that can’t be exported.
- And finally, our natural and cultural infrastructure is what gives us the quality of life that we enjoy and makes South Carolina one of the best places to raise a family. From our beaches to our mountains, our rivers to our lakes, our forests to our parklands, we are blessed with environmental riches that greatly add to our quality of life. Similarly, South Carolina enjoys a thriving arts and cultural scene, both of which make selling South Carolina to potential businesses easier.
Regional Economic Development Task Forces
Because each region has unique strengths and resources, we will create distinct regional economic development task forces – in places like the Piedmont, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Savannah River portions of our state – charged with drawing up an economic development roadmap for each region. Each task force will be headed by an economic development professional reporting to the statewide Office of Job Creation. These task forces will work with local political and civic leaders, representatives from the business community, and senior-level representatives of that region’s universities and technical colleges to identify top challenges and opportunities for job creation unique to their area and to determine what needs to be done to train or retrain that region’s workforce so that they are prepared for those targeted jobs. These task forces will coordinate closely with regional organizations like the SC Centers for Economic Excellence, the Education and Economic Development Act Coordinating Councils, and New Carolina, all of which are already leading the development of new industry clusters, but will add the political will and resources that can come from an active and engaged Governor’s Office.
New and Emerging Sectors
While each region will pursue industries that match its strengths and resources, we also need a concerted statewide push to support and expand the following industries of the future:
1. Clean energy technology & jobs. Jobs in the “clean energy” sector are a growth opportunity for our state. We can’t afford to miss out. From electricians and plumbers retrofitting homes, to architects designing the next generation of buildings, to farmers growing biofuels and wind power, we need to expand opportunities for training and job creation in green jobs in South Carolina. These are skilled, good-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced or exported. I will bring new clean energy jobs to South Carolina by expanding and supporting clean energy research and development at our universities, by setting a green energy job growth goal, and establishing energy and water savings goals and renewable energy targets for all state facilities and agencies. And I will make our own state buildings as energy efficient as possible, saving your money as we go forward.
2. Renewable energy & nuclear power. Currently, South Carolina produces no fossil fuels and thus imports the vast majority of its primary energy resources from other states and nations. We must expand the technologies we utilize today, like efficiency improvements, natural gas and nuclear energy; along with the game-changing technologies of tomorrow, like wind, solar, and next generation nuclear and biofuels. There is tremendous potential for biofuel development in our state. Switch grass grows in abundance along our interstates, and waste from the paper and pulp industry and agriculture could be turned into energy. But so far, most of the wood to ethanol activity is happening in neighboring states. Southeast Range Fuels Inc. is building a wood-to-ethanol plant in Soperton, Ga. The University of Tennessee is involved in a project to build a switch grass-to-ethanol plant. We need to bring those plants, or plants like them, here to South Carolina.
We’re doing better in biodiesel. There are biodiesel plants in Taylors, North Charleston, and Estill. A study by the University of Florida found that there have been $480 million in revenues and 7,369 jobs resulting from biopower generation in South Carolina [3]. We can do more by tapping our significant bioenergy research assets at Arborgen, Savannah River National Laboratory, South Carolina Bioenergy Research Collaborative, South Carolina Biomass Council, Sustainable Institute for Energy Studies, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. I will work hard to improve the supply, demand, and regulatory environment for the biopower and biofuels industries in our state and reduce risks for investors.
There is tremendous potential for us in the nuclear field. Our state produces about half its electricity from nuclear energy sources and is the country’s third largest producer of nuclear power [4]. There is considerable demand for skilled nuclear engineers all across our country and we have a huge knowledge base to build on right here in South Carolina. For years, schools around the country saw declining enrollment. Current nuclear scientists are facing retirement age. With nuclear energy playing a key role in addressing climate change, demand for nuclear expertise is booming. Given the large national shortage of trained nuclear engineers and jobs available, the federal government is undertaking extensive programs to support graduate students in the nuclear field. We should be leading the nation in developing nuclear capacity and training the industry leaders of tomorrow. I will bring more research dollars to South Carolina and aggressively recruit energy companies to the region.
3. Quality health care & jobs. With an aging population and an existing shortage of nurse educators, job development in the nursing field is a top priority. The demand for high quality medical care in South Carolina is expected to grow, along with demand for skilled doctors, nurses and technicians. Again, we must partner with our technical colleges to achieve meaningful results. From 2002-2006 the system generated 33% and 44% increases in Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing graduation rates. We must continue to do more to dramatically increase our production of skilled healthcare professionals.
In 2006, the average annual income for allied healthcare jobs in South Carolina was $40,000+, compared to the state’s per capita income of $29,688 [5]. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that by 2020, South Carolina will be short 12,100 nursing positions. Big teaching hospitals and rural areas face the largest shortages of nurses, with some areas offering reward programs for professional referrals. We must get ahead of the curve, expanding training opportunities for nurses and technicians. We need to collaborate with hospitals, high schools, technical schools and universities to attract talented educators and identify financial support for the most talented and deserving students. The result: better care, reduced costs and skilled, good-paying jobs.
Education and Economic Development Act
Ultimately, our economic success depends on our hardworking South Carolinian people. We must ensure that we have the strongest competitive workforce possible. In 2005, South Carolina passed the Education and Economic Development Act, creating a national model that gives us a competitive advantage over other states. The Act improves accelerated learning within and outside the classroom, establishes regional education centers offering professional development and career planning services, and provides the guidance and mentoring that students need to develop a solid mix of technical and academic skills to compete in the global economy. It's time to fully fund the Act in order to ensure full and effective implementation in every community across South Carolina.
Conclusion
Luck has been described as what happens when opportunity meets preparation. The most prosperous states of the 21st century will be those who best prepare for the opportunities that lie ahead. The second decade of this century and the new millennium is our opportunity to prepare South Carolina to become a national and global leader in sustainability and the knowledge economy. It’s time to turn South Carolina around.
[3] “Bioenergy in South Carolina,” Southeast Agriculture and Forestry Energy Resources
[4] U.S. Energy Administration,
[5] US BLS & BEA 2006.
