Dr. Nikki Honeycutt leads CTE expansion in Spartanburg

By AI, Created 12:51 PM UTC, June 03, 2026, /AGP/ – Dr. Nikki Honeycutt, director of Daniel Morgan Technology Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is expanding career and technical education with a $12.5 million transportation, distribution and logistics academy set to open in fall 2027. The effort is aimed at connecting students to high-demand, living-wage jobs and strengthening the region’s workforce pipeline.

Why it matters: - Daniel Morgan Technology Center is using career and technical education to connect students from two school districts to jobs that can support families and local economic growth. - The center’s model is built around immediate workforce entry, industry credentials and programs tied to regional labor demand. - The work is aimed at students facing significant generational poverty, where access to practical career pathways can change long-term outcomes.

What happened: - Dr. Nikki Honeycutt, director of Daniel Morgan Technology Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is being recognized for leading innovation in career and technical education. - Honeycutt has 29 years of experience across teaching, school administration and workforce-focused program development. - She has served as a National Board Certified Teacher since 2008. - Honeycutt oversees more than 20 programs at Daniel Morgan Technology Center. - She is leading development of a $12.5 million Academy of Transportation, Distribution and Logistics. - The academy is scheduled to break ground soon and open in fall 2027. - The academy already includes diesel engine technology, CDL training for high school students, global logistics and supply chain management, and drone technology. - The center serves students from two school districts.

The details: - Daniel Morgan Technology Center reports a 97% post-program placement rate. - The center reports a 99.1% industry credential rate. - Honeycutt credits the center’s results to a professional staff that supports students beyond classroom instruction and to cooperating school districts that value applied learning. - Under Honeycutt’s leadership, the center is expanding partnerships with industry leaders and building programs tied to regional workforce needs. - The center plans to launch the Franklin Covey Life-Ready Credential next year. - That credential is intended to build leadership, communication, teamwork and workplace readiness skills. - Honeycutt’s background includes work in her family’s trucking company after earning her undergraduate degree from UNC-Charlotte in the 1990s. - She later co-founded and operated a trucking business with her sister before the business was sold after the economic downturn following the September 11 attacks. - Honeycutt taught English for 12 years before moving into school leadership. - She later earned a master’s degree, an educational specialist degree and a doctorate. - She also served as an assistant principal in North Carolina. - After retiring from administration, she returned to the classroom in South Carolina for two more years before becoming director of Daniel Morgan Technology Center.

Between the lines: - Honeycutt’s career path gives her a rare mix of classroom experience, school leadership and hands-on business knowledge. - That background appears to shape her focus on practical skills, skilled trades and direct links between school and work. - Her emphasis on AI, cybersecurity and logistics signals a shift away from older career pathways that may not match student interest or the current labor market. - The recognition tied to the center suggests that CTE is increasingly being judged by outcomes such as credentials, placement and wage potential, not just enrollment. - Honeycutt also frames CTE as a broader equity strategy, not just a workforce strategy.

What’s next: - The Academy of Transportation, Distribution and Logistics is expected to break ground soon. - The academy is slated to open in fall 2027. - Daniel Morgan Technology Center will launch the Franklin Covey Life-Ready Credential next year. - Honeycutt said continued progress depends on stronger collaboration between education, industry and the community. - She is also encouraging more women entering education and leadership to build new skills and step outside their comfort zones.

The bottom line: - Honeycutt is turning Daniel Morgan Technology Center into a direct pipeline from high school to high-demand work, using industry partnerships, credentials and new academy programs to make CTE more relevant and more outcome-driven.