Clemson appoints associate vice president for workforce development

Published: November 15, 2011

Anand Gramopadhye image by: Clemson University

CLEMSON — Underscoring its commitment to improving South Carolina’s economy, Clemson University has appointed the chairman of its industrial engineering department to an expanded role as associate vice president for workforce development.

Anand Gramopadhye, who also is director of the newly created Center for Workforce Development, will support the vice president for economic development to help meet the needs of the state’s evolving manufacturing sector.

Gramopadhye will develop initiatives and spearhead funding opportunities designed to bolster workforce training across the state as Clemson builds on new programs for key manufacturing sectors.

John Kelly, vice president for economic development, said Gramopadhye will play a pivotal role developing new and innovative education programs.

Clemson has formed a universitywide front in its bid to elevate South Carolina’s workforce to meet the needs of South Carolina’s 21st century manufacturing industries, Kelly said. For them to prosper, the state needs an innovative workforce. Part of Clemson's job is to help speed these innovations to market, he said.

“Today’s employers, particularly in the automotive and aviation industries, need an applicant pool rich with qualified technicians and engineers,” Kelly said. “Dr. Gramopadhye, in this expanded role, will ensure the university’s resources are channeled efficiently and effectively.”

Clemson recently announced three workforce development initiatives.

• Clemson announced in September it received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to create a center for research and education in sustainable vehicle systems at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in Greenville. It is to promote the development of an engineering workforce that will overcome technical barriers and help commercialize the next generation of advanced automotive technologies.
• In October, Clemson and its partners were awarded a $2.3 million grant by the National Science Foundation to create the Center for Workforce Development for aviation and automotive technology education. In partnership with technical colleges and industry, the collaboration will drive workforce development by providing technicians for the state’s key manufacturing industries in areas that most need labor with specific skills. It creates satellite resource centers at three locations: Florence-Darlington, Greenville and the Charleston area.
• Also in October, Clemson was part of a statewide education consortium led by Florence-Darlington Technical College that was awarded a nearly $20 million grant by the U.S. Department of Labor to develop online courses in foundational math, science and technology in a 29-county region.

Gramopadhye joined Clemson in 1992 as an assistant professor. He was named chairman of the industrial engineering department in 2003 and assistant to the dean of the College of Engineering and Science in 2010. He earned a bachelor’s degree of engineering in production engineering in 1992 from the University of Bombay, India, and a master of science in 1989 and a Ph.D. in 1992, both in industrial engineering, from the State University of New York, Buffalo.

Gramopadhye said that for South Carolina to attract industry, workforce and economic development initiatives are critical for those companies to compete in the global marketplace. If Clemson does not help provide a talent pool, these employers will struggle to compete and South Carolina risks losing thousands of manufacturing jobs to neighboring states.

“The university has a central role to play in developing the workforce of the future,” Gramopadhye said. “If we fail to act, South Carolina will not only lose valuable jobs, it also will see a wealth of young talent leave to seek employment in competing states after graduating from our colleges and universities.”

Provost Dori Helms said Gramopadhye’s new role also will help further Clemson’s academic programs and strengthen its reputation in the academic arena.

“Our students are the core of the university’s mission,” Helms said. “Dr. Gramopadhye will enhance our students’ experience at Clemson and broaden their education.”

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