Ledbetter Headlines Breakfast

Tom Ledbetter was the invited speaker for the April 3, 2019 Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast. The Cornwallis Tea House located on South Congress Street in Winnsboro, South Carolina hosted the breakfast. Mr. Ledbetter is employed by Midlands Technical College with the Center for Entrepreneurial Success. He discussed the trend of “Intentional Self Employment”, which describes a growing population of U.S. citizens. These individuals enter institutions of higher learning with the explicit goal of being self-employed. He believes that the historic low unemployment rate has contributed to this shift in employment philosophy.

The current unemployment rate in the United States currently hovers around 3.9%, which is close to what economists refer to as “full employment.” Ironically, full employment has a negative impact on the student enrollment at Midlands Technical College. There tends to be a positive correlation between unemployment and enrollment at our South Carolina technical institutions. Therefore, good employment statistics result in fewer students seeking certifications and associate degrees.

Because of low employment statistics and other factors, the Midlands Technical College Fairfield campus is currently being under utilized. He asked attendees to think about ways to better utilize the Midlands Technical College facility in Winnsboro.