Albany Technical College Blog
For every three jobs that require a technical college graduate, Albany Tech can provide only two candidates. Existing industries, especially those that provide essential goods and services, are expanding. Nurses and commercial truck drivers are retiring faster than ranks are being replenished. The new industries are located in the same region as expanding industries; both needing additional technical college graduates.
Read more: Why Basic Adult Education Must Transition into Career Plus High School Equivalency
Blue-collar workers are obviously necessary. We all rely on blue-collar workers for our safety and wellbeing. Each morning we turn the faucet on to brush our teeth; flip a switch to make our coffee, and on a hot day, we hurry inside for the coolness of air conditioning. We assume that our cars will slow down and stop in the rain on a steep downgrade. Trucks bring goods to stores and often directly to our homes.
The pace of change in instructional delivery in higher education is advancing at an increasingly rapid rate. The technical education component of higher education is no exception. The COVID-19 pandemic is the largest catalyst to change the pace since the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, and the most obvious piece of evidence of this change has created a new normal for higher education; a swift increase in online instruction.
Albany Technical College is proud that we have been given the responsibility for workforce education in seven counties in SW Georgia. We are willing to be accountable for delivering high-quality relevant instruction in adult education, credit instruction, contract training, and continuing education.
Read more: Improving Access to Technical Education in Southwest Georgia
Fifteen years ago, Albany Technical College rolled out our hometown heroes marketing campaign. The campaign recognized the contributions made by our graduates who work in law enforcement, emergency services, and firefighting. You may remember ads in the airport, on billboards, TV, and radio. The current COVID-19 crisis focuses an even greater emphasis on graduates from these programs. Now more than ever, these Albany Technical College graduates expose themselves to the risk of injury and illness as they go about their work. More importantly, they expose themselves to the potential hazards of COVID-19 while we shelter at home.