The key to the survival of manufacturing industries in the South is the ability to innovate. Most of the responsibility for innovation rests on the technical skills of the labor force--not only the scientists and engineers who design the technologies but also the employees who ultimately will have to work with and understand the new technologies. In order to acquire these skills, potential technicians need schooling beyond high school. The South's two-year postsecondary institutions are in an enviable position. These schools are among the best in the nation and are in the position to teach not only technical skills but also the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will be needed by the "Renaissance" technician of the future who needs to keep up with ever-changing technology. Four programs are models of the innovation and excellence that are needed by technical schools. These exemplary programs are (1) the Robotics Resource Center, Piedmont Technical College, Greenwood, South Carolina; (2) the Noble Center for Advancing Technology, Oklahoma State University, Technical Branch, Okmulgee, Oklahoma; (3) the program in biomedical equipment technology at Stanly Technical College, Albemarle, North Carolina; and (4) the Center for Productivity, Innovation, and Technology, Chattanooga State Technical Community College, Chattanooga, Tennessee. These programs represent the best of a certain type of technical education. Yet, there are still nagging questions related to goals, enrollment patterns and access, ability to measure and assess programs, and links to secondary vocational education. Planning to address these problems is needed to clarify and strengthen the two-year colleges in their role of preparing workers for the future. (KC)