Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) announced the roll-out of its new Advanced Manufacturing Lab before a packed crowd of invited guests from the four-county area: DeKalb, Rockdale, Newton and Morgan counties. The new lab, which will be located on the college’s Newton campus, is designed for individuals who are interested in pursuing manufacturing sector careers.
Attendees at the June 19 roll-out included Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Deputy Commissioner Matt Arthur; community, business and top manufacturing leaders; K-12 school superintendents; CEOs of the region’s career academies; and elected and appointed officials from throughout the college’s four-county service area.
“We get it. Forward-thinking businesses such as those represented here today, combined with educational institutions that train their workforces, such as Georgia Piedmont Tech, recognize the importance and significance of the digital industrial interface – the ways in which man and machine interact like never before in human history,” GPTC President Jabari Simama said during his opening remarks. “A properly trained workforce is a competitive advantage for our business partners. It is our job, with our business and community partners’ support, to develop the talents of our students with the proper training and equipment to ensure they are job ready upon graduation.”
Commissioner Gretchen Corbin of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) endorsed the new program, saying it will be a top-notch program.
“TCSG is pleased to provide nearly $1 million from its World Class Lab fund to bring state-of-the-art technology to Newton County to ensure that industries in the area will have the best facilities for training their workforce today and in the future,” Corbin said. “Technical training and apprenticeships have proven to prepare workers better for entering industry ready-to-work. That’s what we do best in the Technical College System.”
TCSG’s Deputy Commissioner Matt Arthur said the new program gives Georgia a competitive edge.
“Congratulations to the business community, Dr. Simama, and the rest of the team at Georgia Piedmont,” said Arthur. This lab represents the type of partnership between the college and business and industry that gives Georgia a significant competitive advantage in the global marketplace.”