Albany Technical College Blog
Georgia’s Fall Line is the rough geographic boundary between North and South Georgia. It stretches from Augusta through Macon to Columbus. Most of Georgia’s population reside in counties on or north of the area. Most of Georgia’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are located on or above the Fall Line. Consequently, one might expect that because of the law of large numbers, any event involving people is more likely to occur where more people reside. On April 18, 2019, the law of large numbers was temporarily repealed. Erdrich USA Inc. from Dublin, Briggs & Stratton from Statesboro, and Procter & Gamble from Albany were recognized by Governor Brian Kemp as the small, medium, and large manufacturers of the year.
For the academic year ending September 30, 2019, Albany Technical College is assigned the responsibility of injecting approximately $45 million into the economy of Southwest Georgia. Most of the additional income provided by Albany Technical College’s graduates will be spent in or near Albany. The Technical College System of Georgia’s (TCSG) engagement with Complete College Georgia (CCG), the state’s Complete College America (CCA) affiliate, commits the system to producing an adequate number of technical college graduates on an annual basis.
The administration, faculty, Board, and Foundation of Albany Technical College take pride in being known by the company that we keep. We serve and hopefully maintain positive relationships with employers in Dougherty and six other nearby counties. Our responsibility continues to focus on providing workforce education at the collegiate / postsecondary level. Under the auspices of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and congruent with its workforce development mission, we offer a myriad of academic programs with certifications at the associate degree, one-year diploma, and technical certificates of credit levels. Workforce training through adult education and economic development programming is also an integral service within Albany Technical College’s (ATC) portfolio.
The education that we provide is relevant. What we teach fits. The curriculum taught at Albany Technical College addresses the workforce skill sets needed by employers in Southwest Georgia. Periodic research is conducted by the college to determine what skill sets need to be adapted, added, or deleted. Each program is formally evaluated every three to five years. Albany Tech’s curriculum has a 70 percent overlap with Georgia’s strategic workforce initiatives.
My life’s history and most of my experiences are tied to the south. I was born one year before Brown versus the Board of Education. Yet, I still attended segregated schools from Kindergarten through the eleventh grade. My education after high school was provided by a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), a state university, and flagship university. I was educated in South Carolina and Georgia. I’ve lived all my life in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. I was a high school student when Dr. King was assassinated.
Read more: The Legacy of Martin Luther King – My Perspective