October 5, 2015 - Albany, GA - Beginning Spring Term 2016, which begins January 6, 2016, Albany Technical College will offer a Weekend Cohort Program for Diesel Equipment Technology. With the need and demand for qualified diesel mechanics and technicians growing, Albany Tech wanted to offer a more flexible avenue for more students to gain the necessary skills needed for a meaningful career in the diesel industry.
According to the latest workforce statistics for installation maintenance and repair by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and diesel service technicians and mechanics, employment in the diesel industry will increase by nine percent during the 2012-2022 decade with the medium pay for diesel service technicians and mechanics in 2012 at $20.35 per hour. In an effort to meet Georgia Governor Deal’s High Demand Career Initiative and to provide a feasible avenue for more students to gain the necessary skills needed to train for those careers, Albany Tech designed the weekend program to meet these needs.
“ATC expects that the Weekend Diesel program will assist in our efforts to produce qualified and competent employees for employers and bolster the region’s and state’s economy by attracting more businesses to our region,” said Dr. Emmett Griswold, Dean of the Carlton Construction Academy at Albany Tech.
Currently, several employers in Southwest Georgia employ Albany Tech Diesel Equipment Technology grads. Some of those employers include TransPower, Interstate Leasing, Swain Equipment Company, Cummins South, NAPA Auto Parts, the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany Tractor, Tony McCloud (Emergency Roadside Service), Flint Equipment, and Yancey Brothers.
The Diesel Equipment Technology program at Albany Tech is designed to prepare students for careers in the diesel equipment service and repair profession. The program emphasizes a combination of truck, heavy equipment, marine systems, or emergency power generator repair theory and practical application necessary for successful employment depending on the specialization area a student chooses to complete. Program graduates receive a Diesel Equipment Technology diploma that qualifies them as an entry-level Diesel Equipment technician.
The Weekend Cohort Program will include Friday from 8am to 5pm and Saturday from 8am to 1:30pm. Term One will include 290 contact hours and Term Two will include 298 contact hours to satisfy courses DIET 1000, 1010, 1030, and 1040. Hours include a combination of online lecture instruction and in-lab demonstrations.
For more information about the Weekend Cohort Program in Diesel Equipment Technology, contact Eddie Peck, Chair of the Diesel Equipment Technology program at Albany Tech, at 229.430.3532 or email epeck@albanytech.edu.
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