Spartanburg Community College Awarded Over $1.15 Million to Expand Workforce Training and Innovation
January 6, 2026
Press Releases
Spartanburg Community College Awarded Over $1.15 Million to Expand Workforce Training and Innovation
Spartanburg, SC — January 8, 2026 — Spartanburg Community College (SCC) has been awarded more than $1.15 million in combined public and private funding to expand workforce training, strengthen innovation infrastructure, and accelerate economic development across Spartanburg County and South Carolina. The investments support development of a state-of-the-art clean room facility at SCC’s Spark Center, positioning the College at the forefront of industry-aligned education while reinforcing its role as a critical talent pipeline for the state’s growing life sciences and advanced manufacturing sectors.
SCC’s Spark Center provides nearly 400,000 square feet of adaptable space to support business expansion while ensuring lasting
economic impact through commitments that keep jobs, capital investment, and permanent facilities rooted in Spartanburg County.
Most recently, SCC has been awarded $776,200 by the South Carolina Department of Commerce through its Site Enhancement Initiative (SEI) to advance development of a state-of-the-art clean room facility at its Spark Center. This award builds on additional funding support from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Piedmont Natural Gas, reflecting strong multi-partner investment in Spartanburg Community College’s role as a workforce, innovation, and economic development leader for South Carolina.
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) provided a $247,500 grant to support inclusive economic development by strengthening and diversifying the Appalachian economy through investments in entrepreneurship and business development. This funding specifically advances life sciences manufacturing ventures that require controlled environments to ensure high-quality production. Within three years of ARC’s grant closeout, the project is expected to support the creation of three new life science businesses, while an estimated six unique companies will utilize the clean room for short-term or long-term operations during that same period.
In addition, Piedmont Natural Gas contributed $127,500 to support ancillary costs associated with installing the clean room, further reinforcing multi-sector investment in Spartanburg Community College’s innovation infrastructure.
Together, these investments strengthen SCC’s ability to deliver hands-on, industry-aligned workforce training while positioning the College as a critical driver of talent development for South Carolina’s growing life science industries. The project is supported in collaboration with OneSpartanburg, Inc. and Palmetto InnovaSphere.
The clean room will significantly expand experiential learning opportunities for SCC students, providing real-world training in regulated environments that are direct representations of ever-changing industry standards. By embedding this advanced infrastructure within the College, SCC is leading the charge of enhancing workforce readiness and helping meet employer demand for skilled, job-ready talent.
“These significant awards mark a transformative moment for Spartanburg Community College and the communities we serve,” said Spartanburg Community College President Dr. Michael Mikota. “By pioneering advanced infrastructure like the Spark Center’s clean room, we are shaping a new future for our students while simultaneously developing the talent pipeline that will power South Carolina’s next generation of life sciences and the industries of tomorrow.”
As a shared workforce and innovation asset anchored at Spartanburg Community College, the clean room will also provide access to specialized infrastructure for companies—particularly early-stage and scaling life science firms—that is typically unavailable outside major research hubs, cementing Spartanburg Community College’s role as both an educational institution and an innovation catalyst in South Carolina.
OneSpartanburg, Inc. supported coordination of the SEI application to ensure the project’s broader economic impact across Spartanburg County.
“This investment enhances the value of the Spark Center as a competitive workforce and innovation asset,” said Katherine O’Neill, Chief Economic Development Officer for OneSpartanburg, Inc. “By expanding specialized infrastructure at SCC, we are supporting talent development while positioning the county to attract and retain innovative companies.”
Palmetto InnovaSphere will collaborate closely with Spartanburg Community College to support commercialization pathways for life science companies by aligning workforce talent, applied research environments, regulatory-aware development, and scalable infrastructure.
“Anchoring this resource at Spartanburg Community College is a powerful example of education driving innovation,” said Cecilia Zapata-Harms, CEO of Palmetto InnovaSphere. “This clean room will help move ideas from lab to market while strengthening workforce readiness and long-term economic resilience across the region.”
The College’s momentum in securing multiple, high-impact grants highlights Spartanburg Community College’s position as a statewide leader in innovation, workforce development, and public–private collaboration. The clean room initiative aligns with South Carolina’s broader strategy to grow its life sciences footprint, expand advanced manufacturing capacity, and ensure its citizens have access to modern, industry-ready training environments. SCC continues to lead these efforts, with construction and program activation beginning following execution of the final grant agreement.
Learn more about how Spartanburg Community College is advancing workforce readiness and innovation across South Carolina at SCCSC.edu.
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About Spartanburg Community College
Home of the proud Chasers, Spartanburg Community College (SCC) is a public institution serving students across Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union counties in South Carolina’s Upstate region. Since its founding in 1963, SCC has provided affordable, high-quality education that empowers students to achieve their goals, advance their careers, and enrich our community, which is embodied in its motto, "Dream It. Chase It. Live It."
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