Aiken Technical College News

The MTU Aiken Plant, which produces world-class diesel engines and components, has been named South Carolina Chamber of Commerce‘s 2014 Small/Medium Manufacturer of the Year. The facility is operated by MTU America Inc. The MTU brand is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems within the Marine and Industrial Power Systems division of Rolls-Royce. The award was presented during the inaugural Palmetto Vision Awards Gala held on 18 September at the Marriott Columbia. This prestigious recognition – presented by the nation’s first state chamber Accredited with Distinction by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – is the most comprehensive statewide manufacturing award in the nation. MTU America was one of hundreds of companies nominated from across the Palmetto state.

148 young people start their apprenticeships in Germany & at other locations, including America for the first time. Tognum has taken the German version of cooperative education to the U.S. for the first time and is applying it at its subsidiary, Tognum America. ”We develop, produce and maintain state-of-the-art engines and energy systems, and to do this, we need qualified staff. With this investment in the future, the company is making an important contribution to counteract the lack of specialists,” explained Ingo Metzer, Head of HR at Tognum.

Representatives of Tognum America Inc., a subsidiary of Tognum AG, were invited to meet with representatives of the White House and the U.S. Department of Education, to discuss a planned apprenticeship program for high school students in Aiken County, S.C. The event was designed to be a roundtable discussion of ideas regarding programs aimed at improving education and helping more young Americans gain vocational training and enter the workforce without a college degree. Known for its technological expertise in the area of power and propulsions systems, Tognum has now added an education program to its portfolio through a new program that will kick off this fall at its MTU Aiken Plant.