When the first bell rings at Daniel Morgan Technology Center (DMTC), students step into a unique learning environment that mirrors the workplaces of the future. Some don welding helmets, while others dive into graphic design software. Meanwhile, a group in securities and investments eagerly awaits the Stock Market bell to make their practice trades, and a carpentry class gathers at the construction site where the frame of a new home is taking shape.
This is not your typical high school. This is DMTC, where innovation meets opportunity. A place where students don’t just study careers, they live them.
Programs with Purpose
DMTC, nestled in the hub of Spartanburg County, has built its reputation by offering programs that matter in the real world through applied, experiential learning. Growth and sustainability have come through the alignment of industry needs and innovative technologies. For example, this year, the center launched cutting-edge courses in artificial intelligence, electric vehicle technology, global logistics and supply chain management, CDL training, pharmacy technician, and phlebotomy and EKG certifications. Each was chosen after careful analysis of triangulated data from the comprehensive local needs assessment, One Spartanburg Lightcast Gap analysis, and the Upstate Workforce Development organizations provided, which identified where Spartanburg’s economy needed skilled workers.
In healthcare, demand is driving programs like Pharmacy Technician and Phlebotomy/EKG, which give students direct entry into hospitals and clinics. With these additional certifications, Certified Nursing Aides (CNAs) will take the Patient Care Technician (PCT) exam, making them the preferred and most qualified hiring candidate. In transportation and logistics, CDL training and supply chain courses answer the region’s urgent call for drivers and logistics specialists. And in technology, the expansion into artificial intelligence and electric vehicle systems positions DMTC students at the cutting edge of fields that will dominate the next generation of careers.
Here, innovation isn’t a buzzword. It’s the foundation.
Honors, for Everyone
For decades, students sometimes faced a choice: pursue advanced academics or enroll in career and technical education. DMTC has erased that divide. With our Honors Framework, every program at the center, from welding to mechatronics to early childhood education, carries honors weighting, reinforcing that CTE is not a second-tier option but a rigorous, college-preparatory, and career-defining path.
The message is bold: DMTC is for all students who can explore career paths without sacrificing academic standing. For families, it underscores that DMTC courses provide both challenge and opportunity as students have the chance to determine what career pathway they want to pursue before paying for college.
Results that Speak
The numbers back it up. Ninety-eight percent of DMTC students earn an industry-recognized credential, validating their skills to employers. Recently, DMTC celebrated 306 completers, students who completed their CTE cluster pathway. Cosmetology students, who consistently achieve a 100 percent pass rate on their state board exams, maintained their perfect record that reflects both student preparation and teacher excellence.
To prove their readiness, Media Technology, students recently took home top honors at the state competition, advancing to Nationals where they showcased their skills against the best in the country. Their counterparts in Graphic Design also earned National recognition, showing that Spartanburg’s creative industries will benefit from DMTC-trained talent. Welding students also placed first, third, and seventh in state competitions, demonstrating that quality teaching and learning can produce skilled practitioners who are ready to showcase their knowledge in any environment.
These examples demonstrate that engaged learners are unstoppable when given opportunities to apply their knowledge in real-world simulations.
Teachers Who Lead by Example
Behind every student’s success is an instructor with deep expertise. At DMTC, many faculty members have more than twenty years of industry experience, giving their classrooms credibility that students respect.
Instructors are known across South Carolina for innovative, problem-based teaching styles. They are often asked to mentor or advise other career center teachers, a testament to their leadership in both practice and pedagogy. Students in their classes don’t just memorize content; they troubleshoot real issues and solve problems that mirror what they will face on the job. Work-based learning industry partners know the quality of a DMTC workforce pipeline!
Students don’t just learn techniques; they design, create, and evaluate through purposeful project-based learning. These projects, often paired with community needs, give students tangible evidence of their abilities while instilling pride in contributing to Spartanburg’s growth. The lessons are as much about critical thinking as they are about craftmanship, collaboration and problem-solving. In every project, students are challenged to adapt, innovate, and apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, leaving them with quality experiences that they can use as a springboard in their careers.
Beyond the Classroom
At DMTC, learning extends far beyond the classroom and into the community. Through work-based learning, students gain authentic experience in internships, apprenticeships, and job shadowing placements across Spartanburg County.
For a healthcare student, that might mean rotating through a hospital ward and practicing clinical skills alongside seasoned professionals. For a mechatronics student, it means an opportunity to become a BMW Rising Scholar or gain a position with Cooper Standard, who recently hired a DMTC student, making him a third-generation employee. Meanwhile, a law enforcement student may sharpen tactical skills, observe courtroom proceedings, or spend time with local officers to understand the realities of public safety. And machine tool students experience the pride of seeing a part they reverse-engineered function flawlessly for the first time — sometimes saving the school or an industry partner significant costs in the process.
Employers consistently affirm that DMTC students bring more than technical skill to the workplace. They arrive eager, dependable, and well-prepared; qualities that make them standouts in a competitive job market and valuable additions to any team.
Dual Enrollment: College Starts Here
DMTC students don’t wait until high school graduation to start their college journey. With more than 20 dual enrollment courses, they can earn college credit that transfers directly into associate or bachelor’s degree programs.
The center is actively working with higher education partners such as Spartanburg Community College and the University of South Carolina Upstate to ensure these pathways align smoothly, allowing students to move seamlessly into complete degree programs. The effect is powerful: families save time and money, and students leave DMTC with both a career credential and a head start toward college completion.
For many, it means graduating high school not just ready for work, but already on the way to a college degree.
Women Breaking Barriers
DMTC is also shifting the landscape of people who participate in technical fields. Today, 14.1 percent of students in non-traditional programs are women, young women welding, installing or repairing electrical systems, or becoming machinists, CDL drivers, and logisticians.
These trailblazers represent more than individual success stories. They signal to employers that technical industries are open to all, and they inspire younger students to pursue paths that once felt closed. At DMTC, women are not anomalies. They are role models for attainable dreams, careers, and unlimited futures.
Partnerships that Fuel Progress
No school can accomplish this alone. DMTC thrives because of deep partnerships with Spartanburg’s business community. Employers sit on advisory boards, donate equipment, open their doors to student interns, and provide feedback that keeps curriculum current.
The relationship is reciprocal. Companies gain early access to skilled, credentialed talent, while students gain authentic workplace experiences. DMTC is not just training for jobs; it is supplying the workforce pipeline.
The DMTC Model
The Daniel Morgan Technology Center story is one of alignment, innovation, and opportunity. By grounding its growth in the needs of its community, DMTC ensures that every program serves a dual purpose — advancing student success while fueling the regional economy. With 30 honors courses across 11 Career and Technical Education clusters, robust dual enrollment pathways, nationally recognized competition teams, and a faculty of seasoned industry professionals, the center has become a model for how CTE can transform not only futures, but entire communities.
DMTC is reshaping the way education itself is viewed. With honors weighting, industry credentials that are the norm, and real-world experiences that are embedded into learning, students no longer face a choice between college and career; instead, they gain access to both.
Education is not just preparation for the future — it is the future in action at DMTC. It is a place where students step boldly into their aspirations, where creativity thrives, and where opportunities are limitless.
In Spartanburg, and increasingly across South Carolina, Daniel Morgan Technology Center stands as proof that when schools, industries, and communities work together, the result is not just graduates, but leaders, innovators, and a workforce ready to shape tomorrow.
