Recent News Releases

The following articles have been released by West Georgia Technical College:

WGTC’s Articulation Agreements Expand Education Opportunities
Posted: May 9, 2008

In January of 2007, WGTC received full accreditation with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). WGTC was already accredited by the Council on Occupation Education, a national accrediting agency; however, the regional accreditation with SACS has opened the door for expanded educational opportunities for area residents. A number of new articulation agreements provide opportunities for students to pursue advanced educational awards after completing a two-year degree at West Georgia Technical College.

An agreement with Grand Canyon University, one of the finest online colleges in the county, offers graduates of the Fire Science program an opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree in a totally online format. Other programs will soon be added to the list of articulated programs with Grand Canyon.
Western Kentucky University and WGTC have articulated a four year degree in information technology. Students complete the two year Networking Specialist program at WGTC and complete their bachelor’s degree through WKU. This program also is available online with no out-of-state fees and is fully accredited.

The most recent articulation agreement was signed with Brewton Parker College. This agreement allows a student to complete virtually any degree at West Georgia Technical College and then transfer to Brewton Parker to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration with a Technical Management major.
Two other articulation agreements will soon be completed with Southern Polytechnic State University and Troy University. SPSU is working with WGTC to offer a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Manufacturing Technology. A draft of the agreement is nearing completion and will allow a student to complete two years at WGTC and finish the last two-years at SPSU. A significant portion of the final two years at SPSU will be completed online or with some course work offered by SPSU on the WGTC campus. An agreement with Troy University will allow a student to complete a program in Sports and Fitness Management and other areas are also under consideration. In both cases, students who complete the bachelor’s degree are eligible for admission to master’s degree program at their respective institutions.

An articulation agreement with Mercer University provides additional educational options for graduates of both the Criminal Justice and the Early Childhood Care and Education programs at WGTC. Graduates of both of these programs may apply credits earned in their degree programs towards pursuit of a bachelors degree at Mercer University.

Finally, West Georgia Technical College and LaGrange College are exploring the opportunity for an articulation agreement that would allow students to pursue degrees in the Human Development and Business Administration programs at LaGrange College. This agreement would allow local residents to complete a quality degree program without having to leave LaGrange.

It’s your life – make it count. Call West Georgia Technical College today at 706-845-4323 to explore these and other available educational opportunities.

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WGTC Offers Summer Mini-mesters
Posted: May 9, 2008

WGTC is offering a summer package of “mini-mesters” for high school graduates that want to get an early start on their college careers. Mini-mesters are accelerated class formats that allow a student to complete courses in a shorter timeframe than is normally required. The class covers the same competencies and requirements only in a reduced time period.

This summer, WGTC will offer U.S. History I and U.S. History II in a mini-mester format and ENG 191 Composition and Rhetoric and PSY 191 Introduction to Psychology in a mini-mester format. Students taking both “mini-mesters” would earn 20 credit hours of college level general education which could be applied toward graduation requirements at area colleges and universities. At only $36 per credit hour, this is a substantial savings over taking these same classes elsewhere.

Additional mini-mester options will be offered each quarter. Some of these will be in online formats as well. Online mini-mester offerings will allow students the convenience of taking college level classes from any computer with internet access. As with their more traditional classroom counterparts, the same competencies and requirements are covered only in a reduced time period.

Please see the “Summer Mini-mester” section of this publication for class times and formats.
Whether you attend in-person or online, summer mini-mesters allow you to get a jump start on a college education at a reduced cost. Demand for these class offerings is expected to be heavy. To assure your spot in one of the mini-mester formats, call 706-845-4323 to speak to a career planner at WGTC today. One call is the first step to a new future.

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WGTC Expands General Education Curriculum
Posted: May 9, 2008

West Georgia Technical College is pleased to announce that it is expanding the list of current college level general education course offerings. While the college has long offered courses in math, English, biology, psychology, sociology, and the sciences, a entirely new set of college level general education courses are available for students seeking to complete that part of the college curriculum closer to home.
Last year, the college expanded course work in the humanities by adding courses such as ART 191 Art Appreciation and MUS 191 Music Appreciation. Beginning summer quarter, WGTC will begin offering two history courses – HIS 2111 U.S. History I and HIS 2112 U.S. History II. U.S. History I will cover US history from colonization through 1877. U.S. History II review US history from the Reconstruction period through the modern age.

Additional college level general education courses will soon be available at WGTC including courses in world history, political science, literature, and art and cinema. The expanded general education course offerings allows a student to take a number of college level courses before they leave for a 4-year college.
“ These new offerings provide an opportunity for students to complete college level course work at a fraction of the traditional cost, “ stated Dr. Darryl Harrison, vice president for academic affairs. “With the expanding list of general education courses available and the number of articulation agreements the college has already forged with area 4-year colleges, area residents now have additional opportunities to complete their college education.”

Some of the new courses are offered in a “mini-mester” format which allows a rhigh school graduate to complete up to 20 hours of college level coursework in the time between high school graduation and the start of the fall semester at most state 4-year colleges.

Call West Georgia Technical College today at 706-845-4323 to get a jump start on your college career!

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“BRAG”ing Rights: Instructor, Eddie Rhodes to ride his bike across Georgia
Posted: May 9, 2008

The official logo and slogan for Bicycle Ride Across Georgia is exactly what Eddie Rhodes, Health Sciences/Sports and Fitness instructor at WGTC has on his mind. BRAG stands for “Bike Ride Across Georgia” with the letters used in the logo to form the structure of a bicycle. This particular bike ride does indeed stretch across the state of Georgia covering a total of 433 miles from Oxford to St. Simons Island. Riders participating in the event pedal between 60 and 70 miles a day.

Rhodes, 53, has been training for this ride since last July when he got the inspiration to participate. His training has included a couple of 104 mile rides as well as several 50, 60 and 70 mile tours." I use a heart rate monitor to train my aerobic capacity and lactate threshold ",said Rhodes.

When he mounts his 2007 Trek 7.5 FX Hybrid bicycle to begin the ride, Rhodes will have two goals in mind. First, he wants to make people aware of the growing number of career option in the sports and fitness field, one of the fastest growing career fields in the country. Second, he hopes to increase awareness of the Sports and Fitness Management degree program at West Georgia Technical College. “The Sports and Fitness Management degree program is a great way to prepare for a career in this growing field”, stated Rhodes.

While instructional commitments at the college will not permit him to complete the entire course, Rhodes plans to join the ride in Dublin and continue on to the finish line. Rhodes hopes his ride will inspire others, regardless of their ages, to become more fit and participate in life rather than being simply a sports spectator.

Sound interesting? Want to be a part of a new and growing career field? There is a new class entering the Sports and Fitness Management program beginning July 7th at West Georgia Technical College. Call 706-845-4323 today to reserve your place in this new and exciting program.

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PBL Chapter wins awards
Posted: April 30th

West Georgia Technical College’s Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) Chapter attended the Annual PBL Banquet in Atlanta, Georgia on April 11-13. Our chapter won 2nd place in the Annual Business Report competition, 2nd place for March of Dimes donations, and 2nd place for Georgia PBL Foundation donations.

WGTC students Shawn Coleman won 1st place in Digital Video Production and Natasha Hicks won 3rd place in Hospitality Management.

Pictured (l-r): 1st row - Starr Trammell, Natasha Hicks, Maria Ware, Adrienne Woodyard, and Chrissie White. Second row - Shawn Coleman, Charlie Davidson, Jasper Patterson, and Karen Carpenter, Adviser.

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SkillsUSA Chapter students win at State Competition
Posted: April 23, 2008

Members of West Georgia Technical College’s SkillsUSA chapter competed at the 2008 Georgia SkillsUSA Conference and Competition in Dublin, Georgia on April 19th. These students were competing for state recognition and for the chance to go on to national competition. Competitions were held in a variety of technical categories including mechanical maintenance, welding, job interview skills, and automotive.

Tara Davis won a gold metal in Job Interview and Melanie Ellerbee won a gold medal in Electronics Technology. Both of these students will be going to National competitions in Kansas City, Missouri in June. Nina Aaron also won a bonze medal in Technical Drafting. Other students representing the College included Tan Ngo, Michael Manning, Major McLaughlin, Johnathan Fincher, and Donald Autry.

Also attending were officers Charles Smith and Chad Veal who served as delegate for State officer elections along with SkillsUSA advisors Jim Biagi and Pam Parmer.

SkillsUSA is an organization which provides its members with an opportunity to showcase their talents and interests in relation to their chosen program of study at West Georgia Technical College. In addition, SkillsUSA provides opportunities for its members to not only demonstrate technical knowledge of the subjects in their field, but to also develop skills that will help them to become successful leaders in today’s industrial environment.

Pictured (l-r): Tara Davis, Nina Aaron and Melanie Ellerbee.

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West Georgia Technical College's Practical Nursing Program held its Bi-Annual pinning ceremony on Thursday, April 10th in the Callaway Conference Center.

At each ceremony, Academic and Clinical excellence awards are awarded to deserving students. Awards were given for Academic Achievement to Tiffany Thompson and Terrance Thomas. Clinical Excellence awards were awarded to Brandy Darden and Amanda Chatman.

Pictured (l-r): Tiffany Thompson, Brandy Darden, Amanda Chatman, and Terrance Thomas.

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Susan Austin is chosen as West Georgia Technical College’s GOAL Winner
Posted: April 9, 2008

Susan Austin, a Management and Supervisory Development student at West Georgia Technical College, has been named as the college’s winner of the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL).

The announcement was made at the college’s GOAL recognition luncheon on Tuesday, April 08, 2008.

Austin was chosen by a panel of local leaders over three other nominees for the award. The runners-up were Tonya Carpenter- Practical Nursing, James Hale- Radiologic Technology and Terrance Thomas-Practical Nursing.

GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia, honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. Local GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 33 technical colleges as well as the four Board of Regents colleges with technical education divisions.

The announcement of Austin as the WGTC GOAL winner was made by Ms. Jane Fryer, President, LaGrange/Troup County Chamber of Commerce.

Austin will receive an all-expense paid trip to Atlanta in May where, for three days, she will compete with GOAL winners from the other state technical college campuses. A panel of leaders from the business, industry and government sectors will interview them and choose one to be the state’s 2008 GOAL winner and the recipient of the GOAL medallion.

The grand prize also includes a new car, courtesy of Chevrolet, the statewide corporate sponsor of the GOAL program.

Austin chose to attend West Georgia Tech to earn her degree and to advance her career as a supervisor.

Pictured left to right are the four GOAL finalists with their nominating instructors: Mr. Creighton Kelly (nominating instructor), Susan Austin- Management and Supervisory Program (GOAL winner),runners-up Elizabeth Stargell (nominating instructor), Tonya Carpenter-Practical Nursing, Wanda Barbee (nominating instructor), James Hale-Radiologic Technology, Sandra Burke (nominating instructor), and Terrance Thomas- Practical Nursing.

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West Georgia Tech president to retire
Posted: March 14, 2008
By Trey Wood, Staff writer - LaGrange Daily News

In the past five years, Darryl Gilley, president of West Georgia Technical College, has given his students a new campus, SACS accreditation and more class choices. In August, after all of his students finish moving into the new campus, he’ll step down.

Gilley will leave his presidential post, effective Aug. 31,“ and that’s subject to change,” he said. “We’re going to have everybody (at the west campus) by the middle of July at the worst. I won’t leave until it’s finished.”

During his tenure, the school has received grants for new equipment and has seen the biggest rise in student population, more than 2,000 students, in the technical college’s 42- year history. But he’s looking forward to enjoying some free time.

“ Next August, I’ll almost be 62, and I’ve been (educating) for 38 years,” Gilley said. “... I don’t have any plans to look for another job.”

He may look into state project work, but only on a project basis. After working since 1990 in the Georgia technical school system and the Tennessee system for eight years before that, he’s not in the market for fultime employment.

With a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, a master’s from Pasadena City College in California and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee, Gilley has dealt with education as a student and professional nearly his entire life. And he brought that experience to West Georgia Tech, said the technical college’s board chairman, Jerry Fulks.

“ Dr. Gilley brought a level of energy to West Georgia Technical College ... that enabled us to make tremendous advances,” Fulks said.“ It’s a lasting legacy as far as I’m concerned. He’s a great guy, a wonderful academic.”

Gilley considers his greatest accomplishment to be the purchase of the Raytheon Systems Building in 2005 for the college’s west campus and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation in 2007. Darryl Harrison, vice president of academic affairs for West Georgia Tech, worked previously with Gilley at Northwestern Technical College in Rock Spring. And he saw Gilley build West Georgia Tech into a work-ready graduate producing machine.

“ He has been a visionary leader for this school,” Harrison said. “A lot of his accomplishments have come about (because) he saw what this campus could become.“ If I had to pick one thing that has been consistent, he has really insisted on academic integrity and rigor in the classroom, so we produce a quality graduate ready for the workforce.”

Arriving at West Georgia Tech, Gilley had three goals: to give students state-of-theart facilities, raise money for school administration to fall back on if needed and give the school comprehensive community college status. Through the purchase of the new campus building, raising funds and becoming SACS accredited, Gilley accomplished his goals, and leaves his successor a school to grow with.

“ It’s been a great, wonderful opportunity – more than I had every dreamed,” he said. “I was not prepared. In my education, nothing prepared me for what we had to do here. It’s been very rewarding.”

Trey Wood can be reached at twood@lagrangenews. com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 230.

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Tech credits can shift to Brewton-Parker
Posted: March 11, 2008 in The Times-Herald
By W. WINSTON SKINNER, winston@newnan.com

Students from area vocational-technical schools will be able to transfer core courses and several other classes as electives to Brewton-Parker College if they want to get a bachelor's degree in technical management.

Presidents of Brewton-Parker and three state technical schools — West Central Technical College, West Georgia Technical College and Griffin Technical College — have signed articulation agreements. Those agreements designate certain courses as equivalents for credit — whether at the technical school or Brewton-Parker.

"It's certainly a historical moment," said Dr. Robert Arnold, president of Griffin Tech.

The agreement also allows students to use 24 hours of technical courses as electives for Brewton-Parker's technical management degree. Janie Lore, head of the local BPC program, said the articulation agreements permit eight technical classes as electives.

"We have been in the process of talking about articulation of classes for quite awhile," Lore said.

Progress on the articulation agreement sped in recent weeks. Dr. Cindy Skaruppa, Brewton-Parker's vice president of enrollment services, talked about the proposal during a meeting at Central Educational Center in February. The articulation agreements were signed prior to a reception at CEC on Friday afternoon.

Signing the agreements were Dr. David Smith, president of Brewton-Parker; Dr. Skip Sullivan, president of WCTC; Dr. Daryl Gilley, president of West Georgia Tech; and Arnold.

Brewton-Parker is a four-year college affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention. The college's main campus is at Mt. Vernon-Ailey in southeast Georgia. Brewton-Parker has several satellite programs, including the local one at CEC headed by Lore, a longtime Coweta educator.

The CEC program is Brewton-Parker's only satellite in metro Atlanta. "We're happy to be here," Lore said.

Smith said the agreements will allow Brewton-Parker to better serve the young people who study through its programs as well as "some not so young people that we serve." Most students in the local BPC program have been non-traditional students — adults returning to the classroom after a hiatus.

Smith and Lore noted the late Dr. Starr Miller, a Newnan resident who twice served as president at Brewton-Parker, was one of the school's leaders who dreamed of the technical management degree. Miller's wife, Luine, attended the articulation signing and gave the invocation to open the ceremonies.

"Dr. Miller was very interested in having our college here," Lore said.

Skaruppa commented on the quick progress which brought the schools together to sign the articulation documents. She thanked representatives of the technical colleges for their help "as we were putting together these agreements."

She also promised to keep the technical colleges informed about progress of their students who transfer to Brewton-Parker. "We will provide you with complete data," she said.

In addition, Skaruppa thanked WCTC, WGTC and Griffin Tech for allowing Brewton-Parker recruiters to have a presence on their campuses.

"What we do is all about students," Sullivan said after the agreements were signed. "If we can help them be successful through such acts as this, we want to do it."

"It's all about students," Gilley agreed. "That's why we're all here."

Arnold talked about what can be accomplished when school's leaders communicate. "Anytime we can sit down face-to-face," he said, "it's the best thing to do."

"It was truly a collaboration," Skaruppa said.

Luine Miller said the process reflected her husband's philosophy. "Rather than being competitive, be cooperative," she said.

Dr. Lucy Hayden, head of the Commission on Higher Education, attended the articulation signing ceremonies. The commission is a local organization working to expand higher education opportunities in Coweta County.

Hayden thanked the presidents of the four schools for "that kind of responsiveness to the needs of the community." She said the four institutions have become "a role model" as the commission works to bring other schools to the area.

Lore said the technical management degree will allow more people to earn a bachelor's degree "in a very timely manner." She termed the agreements "a good thing," and added, "It's what employers want."

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Technical College System Honors EAGLE Recipients For Achievements In Adult Education
Posted: February 25, 2008

The Technical College System of Georgia’s Office of Adult Education recognized 37 men and women, including West Georgia Technical College student Courtni Schwiederek, for their achievements in adult education during a luncheon held Friday at Atlanta’s Hyatt Regency Hotel.

The Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) program honored the 37 as delegates to the program’s Leadership Institute conference held in Atlanta February 13-15.

Nominated by instructors from Georgia’s local adult literacy programs, the 37 EAGLE delegates are among more than 84,000 adult learners in the state. Each delegate earned the statewide recognition based on their hard work to obtain their GED and their excellent character, positive attitude, superb classroom attendance and outstanding leadership.

Georgia’s 2008 EAGLE delegates are considered ambassadors and spokespersons for adult education, according to Ron Jackson, Commissioner for the Technical College System of Georgia. Jackson adds, “These outstanding men and women are role models for others who want to obtain their GED. I take pride in knowing that each delegate demonstrates leadership qualities wherever they are – their homes, communities, workplaces and, most assuredly, in their classrooms.”

West Georgia Technical College is among 33 colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia. In 2007, 140,852 students attended TCSG colleges, which offer small classes, hands-on experience and focused instructor attention.

Pictured (l-r):Commissioner Ron Jackson, Courtni Schwiederek, and Assistant Commissioner Josephine Reed-Taylor.

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Student Leadership Council Wins Award
Posted: February 13, 2008

The SLC officers attended the NTHS/SSLC Winter Conference in Atlanta, Georgia January 25-27 2008. West Georgia Technical College was awarded the Bronze Award of Participation at this conference.

The picture includes Charlie Davidson (Vice-President SLC), Ginger Golden (President SLC and 2008 SSLC State Officer Elect), and Melanie Ellerbee (Secretary SLC).

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Industrial Technologies Program Gets a New Look at WGTC
Posted: February 12, 2008

There is a lot of renovation going on at the West Georgia Technical College campus and all of it is not on new West Campus site. Inside D Building, a new concept is being developed that will change the way that manufacturing and industrial technologies are taught. The interior of the building is being redesigned to make way for WGTC’s new Center for Integrated Manufacturing. The Center will house some familiar programs being brought together in a radical new way.

WGTC has long been known for offering a wide array of industrial programs including Machine Tool, Plastics, Drafting, Industrial Mechanical Systems, Welding, Electronics, and more recently Automotive Manufacturing. These programs were scattered across campus and students in any given program had little contact with any of the other programs. That’s all about to change thanks to some grant money and a little imagination.

The Center for Integrated Manufacturing being created in D Building will bring these diverse programs together in one area. However, rather than being taught in isolation, the programs will interact with one another so that students will experience a working manufacturing environment. A functioning production line will allow students to be involved in all aspects of the manufacturing process from seeing the idea taking shape (Drafting), to developing a production model (3D modeling), to creating a mold for a production line (Machine Tool), to designing the manufacturing control process (Industrial Mechanical Controls and Electronics), to seeing a finished product (Plastics and Machine Tool). Students will literally be involved with the manufacturing process from concept to finished product.

The functioning production line will be housed in an open area so that students may view the manufacturing process from beginning to end without the obstruction of walls. The openness of the lab also promotes interaction between students and instructors in all programs. The combining of the lab and classroom into an integrated system provides students with real world experience they would not normally get in a traditional classroom setting.

Seeing the value of such a system, ITW DaeLim USA made a $200,000 grant, payable over five years, to West Georgia Technical College. This grant is intended to assist the WGTC’s effort to prepare local students to excel in the plastics manufacturing industry. To further enhance the Center and the Plastics program specifically, DaeLim USA has also arranged for Toshiba Equipment Company to place an 80-ton all-electric plastic molding machine in the College’s Manufacturing Center. The molding machine (on loan from Toshiba), will be used in both the academic training program and for proprietary training for the plastics industry.

In addition, WGTC and Southern Polytechnic State University in Atlanta are collaborating to develop a new 4-year degree in manufacturing. Students will take the first two years of the program at WGTC and complete the final two with SPSU.

Students entering programs in the Industrial Technologies will be the first to experience this new instructional concept. Now is a great time to get prepared for a new career in manufacturing technology. If you have ever thought about a career in this exciting field, now is the time to get in on the ground floor. Call a WGTC career planner today to reserve your spot in the next class.

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CSI Comes to LaGrange
Posted: February 12, 2008

Louis Shepard, Criminal Justice instructor at WGTC, steps over the body outline taped to the floor of a criminal justice lab designed to look like a normal living room. The room has been staged to indicate that there has been a struggle and someone has met with foul play. Students are scouring the area for evidence and trying to determine what is really a clue and what may have nothing to do with the crime scene. Mr. Shepard reminds his students to look carefully and consider every possible clue at the crime scene. In this scenario, an overlooked bit of evidence could mean the difference between a criminal going free or going to jail.

On television, the detectives always seem to solve the crime in some glitzy way and usually within 30 minutes or an hour. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way in the real world. A lot of hard work goes into catching the bad guy. And the individuals who do that work don’t just walk in off the street. They have special training in crime scene investigation and forensics. The Crime Scene Investigation certificate at WGTC is designed to be a first step in that training process.

The Crime Scene Investigation Technician Certificate program is designed to train students in the use of technology in the service of criminal investigation. The program provides instruction in applying scientific techniques to the detection and evaluation of criminal evidence. Students learn the principles of crime scene investigation, interviewing and interrogation techniques, case preparation and court room testimony, and crime scene photography.

Interested? A new class begins April 7th and applications are already being accepted. For more information, please contact Louis Shepard at 706-756-3518 or a WGTC Career Planner at 706-756-4650.

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Brain surgery doesn’t stop fight for GED
By Trey Wood - Staff writer, LaGrange Daily News
Posted: February 7, 2008

Chad Jackson has had headaches since he was in kindergarten. But few things seem more a headache than quitting high school and trying to take the General Educational Development exam for seven years.

He had reasons to fight quitting school – possible problems hearing, paralysis, seizures and vertigo, to name a few. When he was in high school, Jackson was diagnosed with an arachnoid cyst in the back of his head, sitting above his spinal column. An arachnoid cyst is a disorder that causes spinal fluid to pool in the head and pressure to build under the skull.

“ My spinal cord fluid wasn’t going down like it was supposed to be,” the 24-yearold said.

He was in the Troup High School class of 2002, but he didn’t graduate then. He was diagnosed with the cyst in 1999 and had surgery to remove it in 2000.

Part of the brain-protecting bone was removed during the operation. Along with that, the surgery had lowered his comprehension skills to that of a kindergarten student. His neurosurgeon at Emory told him it would be best to quit school because a strike to the back of his head near the healing part of the skull would have killed him.

After the surgery, “I had to learn how to walk back up stairs,” he said.

After a period of recuperation, Jackson began searching for a job, going from employer to employer, receiving the same answer–he needed a GED. So in August 2000, he started GED classes at West Georgia Technical College. And last month, he graduated.

“ Don’t give up,” he said. “I felt like it, but I had people that wouldn’t let me give up.”

Jackson looked to his parents, fiancee and teachers to help him to his goal. Four teachers and five tries at the GED mathematics exam later, he finally received what he came for.

“ He’s our motivational speaker,” said writing teacher Susan Prestridge, who started about six years into Jackson’s GED struggles.“ ... People come in the door automatically assuming,‘ I’m going to be in class a month or two, and I’m going to be able to pass and get a GED,’ and that’s just not necessarily the case.

”With his experience in the adult literacy program, Jackson knew what it meant to not give up, and he passed that along to fellow students.

“ When people got sad, he would stand up and say,‘ Look how long I’ve been here – I’m not giving up. Why are you?’ ” Prestridge said.

None of his teachers have seen Jackson’s struggles as much as math teacher Jewell Albright. Math was the last of the five sections he had to take to pass, and the one that took the most tries to pass.

“ He helped numerous people in the classroom ... with the math. He really did,”Albright said, “but that was the toughest test that he had to take, and when he finally passed it, ... he came up with 10 extra points.

”There were times when Jackson would miss weeks of school because of surgery or sickness, and Albright would threaten to go to Jackson’s house and take him to school when he wanted to quit.

“ We see a lot of people that have lost their jobs because of plants closing and things, and they come out here and they really struggle,” she said. “When other people tell you you can’t do something, you don’t believe them, and you just go on. ... That’s the lesson I think he (he teaches).

”So what you see is a young man that, although all the things he’s gone through– all the difficulties he’s had– he’s won. He’s a winner.

”He’s working as a shelf stocker for Piggly Wiggly at 1861 Roanoke Road, but he has his eyes on bigger things.

It’s been difficult at times, Jackson said, but there’s good things in his future. Besides finally getting his degree, Jackson and his fiancee, Amanda Potter, are working on wedding plans.

But before anything, he had to work for his GED.

“ I got frustrated at times. I said, ‘I’m going to quit, I’m going to quit,’ and (my supportive friends, family and teachers) said, ‘No you’re not. You’ve gotta get it.’

They said, ‘When you get it, you’ll be proud of yourself.’And I was proud of myself.’’

Pictured From left, West Georgia Technical College adult literacy teachers Jeanne Dumais, Jewell Albright, former student Chad Jackson and teacher Susan Prestridge celebrate with Jackson for receiving his GED after undergoing brain surgery and spending about seven years in the program.

Trey Wood can be reached at twood@lagrangenews. com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 230.

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Future linemen on the rise -- WGTC program gets ‘high’ marks
By Trey Wood, Staff writer - LaGrange Daily News
Posted: January 25, 2008

About 15 feet above a pile of straw and sawdust, five men on five different wooden poles lean back against leather belts, listening as electrical lineman instructor Keith Jenkins gives their next order.

“Everybody to the dirt,” he says.

The hard thunk of metal hooks strapped to boots fills the air as the men climb down, pieces of wood chipping off the poles.“

Get six inches from the ground ... stretch those stomach muscles,” Jenkins tells his students.

They’re practicing climbing up the poles and becoming more comfortable with turning, tying knots and stretching while relying on a strap of cowhide and metal spikes to keep them from falling.

Since October , the first students in West Georgia Technical College’s new electrical line worker program have climbed, clamped, stretched and slid up a circle of six poles. Safety harnesses attached to their backs provide a measure of safety while they are learning.

At the end of the training, which can last one to three quarters depending on the student, these men will attempt to qualify for a job as a lineman through a final exam without the harnesses, but it won’t be a walk – or climb– in the park.“

First, you’ve got to learn how to climb,” Jenkins said.

The veteran lineman has been climbing for 14 years with Georgia Power Co. A green sticker on the back of his helmet reads “Accident-free 8 years.”

“We’ve got fall protection, but we didn’t get enough for all six poles,” he said.

Starting the program from scratch was difficult, although Diverse Power provided harnesses, equipment, trucks and poles for the class. On Thursday, they placed harnesses on a fifth pole, but the sixth pole can be climbed only about 4 feet until another set arrives.

The students, which number about 10, start out on “green poles,” the hardest wooden poles made. It takes a lot more stomping for the men to dig their boots into the wood. And with the introduction of lifetime-lasting concrete and metal poles with climbing rungs attached, wooden poles are becoming obsolete.

“ Every lineman needs to learn how to climb a wood pole,” Jenkins says, because he never knows when the skill is going to be needed.

On the other side of the work area, instructor Danny Kirk teaches students how to tighten wires set to the poles. Although the wooden poles on this side are shorter than those specifically for climbing, it’s still dangerous. Safety harnesses are required for the students for climbs beyond a certain point. But the wooden residential poles are only part of what Jenkins wants to see for the program.

“(I’d) like to see a little bit of transmission training out here,” he said.

Josh Bryant, 19, seconds that notion, because that’s what he wants to do when the class is finished.

Starting pay for a lineman can be $18an hour while working on the ground. But after two years, that can rise to $28. Jenkins, for example, told his students how he was paid for 500 hours of overtime for working during storm season, which is equivalent to almost 63 days of work.

Experienced line workers are allowed to climb the transmission poles, if they can handle heights of up to 125 feet. Transmission pole lines carry electricity from electrical substations, while wooden pole lines carry residential electricity.

" People will pull over on the side of the road and watch you do your job” on transmission poles, Jenkins said.

Bryant has no fear of heights, which is one reason he joined the program. He does have a fear of confined spaces, though, and that made him finish rookie firefighting school, but not look back after joining the linemen.

“So far, I like it real good,” he said. “It’s just a good learning experience.”

Darryl Harrison, vice president of academic affairs for the college, sees the class as an opportunity to help the shortage of line workers across Georgia. Schools with linemen programs can be found in nearly every state, and there are about five schools in Georgia, Harrison said.

Even with the programs, linemen are in short supply. About half of Georgia’s certified linemen have reached retirement age, and shortages across the nation are popping up, also. The waiting list for West Georgia Tech’s linemen program is proof enough of it’s popularity.

“There are, I think, five other schools in the state of Georgia that actually do this, but they’re scattered around in different parts of the state,” Harrison said. “This is the first class to go through this program, so people are excited about what they’re doing – what they’re learning.”

Trey Wood can be reached at twood@lagrangenews. com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 230.

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ITW DaeLim USA Awards Grant to WGTC
Posted: January 18, 2008

Officials at West Georgia Technical College learned Friday that the College will receive a $200,000 grant from ITW DaeLim USA to support the College’s Plastics Technology program. “As LaGrange has invited ITW DaeLIm USA to bring our new operation into its community, we intend to do our part to support this community,” said Mike Glynn Vice President and General Manager of ITW DaeLim USA. “To that end, and in response to a request from ITW DaeLim USA’s new local management, the ITW Foundation has agreed to make a $200,000 grant, payable over five years, to West Georgia Technical College. This grant is intended to assist the College’s effort to prepare local students to excel in the plastics manufacturing jobs the State of Georgia, Troup County and the City of LaGrange have and will continue to attract to this community.”

Staff at West Georgia Tech have been working with DaeLim USA over the past six months to develop a plastics training program that meets the needs of plastics manufacturers in West Georgia and throughout the southeastern United States. DaeLim USA is currently building a manufacturing facility in Troup County to support the West Georgia automotive industry.

According to Glynn, the mantra of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) and its Foundation is “Living our Culture, Strengthening our Communities.” For decades, ITW’s small decentralized operations in Georgia and around the country have operated successful annual campaigns to support United Way programs in their communities. Without strong communities, our manufacturing operations are challenged to grow with the markets they serve.

According to Daryl Gilley, President of the College, funds from the grant will be used to create a state-of-the-art plastics training program in the College’s new Manufacturing Center, provide training for faculty and purchase equipment and materials. The program may also include a co-op component that will allow students the earn while they learn.

To further enhance the Plastics program, DaeLim USA has also arranged for Toshiba Equipment Company to place an 80-ton all-electric plastic molding machine in the College’s Manufacturing Center. The molding machine (on loan from Toshiba), will be used in both the academic training program and for proprietary training for the plastics industry.

The collaborative partnership with DaeLim USA is unique in that it is an industry driven training program specifically designed and delivered through West Georgia Technical College to serve the plastics manufacturing sector. “Thanks to DaeLim USA, students in the College’s plastics program will have an extraordinary learning opportunity that should allow them to excel in the plastics manufacturing industry,” said Gilley.

Pictured (l-r): Doug Marciniak, vice president and general manager for ITW Deltar; West Georgia Tech President Daryl Gilley; and Mike Glynn, vice president and general manager for DaeLim USA.

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Perdue recognizes WGTC student
By: Trey Wood, LaGrange Daily News
Posted: January 17, 2008

A West Georgia Technical College student received special recognition at Gov. Sonny Perdue’s State of the State address Wednesday for going back to school for a chance to work at the coming Kia Motors plant.

Kim Blackmon, 31, is a married mother of four girls and one boy working two jobs: one at HDI Solutions Inc. in Auburn, Ala., and one at Famous Labels on Commerce Avenue. She received a degree from West Georgia Tech in computer information systems in 2002, which she uses at HDI as a data entry employee. She returned to school to receive an associate’s degree in automotive manufacturing and last week applied for a job at Kia’s plant being built in West Point.

“ When I heard about ... the Kia plant coming and I heard about the classes, I came right down (to West Georgia Tech) and signed up,” she said.

Blackmon works full time at HDI during the day, goes to school afterward and works at Famous Labels at night. Besides having a family to support, these are some of the reasons she was honored.

“ I just do it because I have to,” she said Wednesday morning. “It’s not easy, but I have to do what I have to do.”

Along with two of the first graduates of the pre-kindergarten program funded by the state lottery, now a junior and senior in high school, and the first female general in the Georgia Guard, Perdue honored Blackmon for her strong work ethic and her desire to be a Kia employee. “

Kim, I want to commend you for all you’re doing to make a better life for your family,” the governor said. “ And I pledge on behalf of my colleagues in this body today, to do what we can to bring you and your classmates more opportunities – more jobs – more investment all over Georgia, so that other families can follow your lead.”

The audience applauded for her dedication to her family and to new industry. She was recognized as one of the people who will be “transforming a dusty mill town in western Georgia into an advanced manufacturing center of the future,” Perdue said.

As one of his school’s students, WGTC President Daryl Gilley was excited for Blackmon. He had been called by a public relations employee of the Technical College System of Georgia asking if he had any students fitting the mold of a student to be recognized by Perdue.

" She fits the picture of what (they were) looking for,” he said. “... People talk about a work ethic, you know, students this day and age not having a good work ethic – I think Kim proves that wrong.”

As she stood in front of the joint session of the General Assembly because she chose to go back to school for the opportunities Kia will bring, Blackmon didn’t know if that would be her last step, she said, but was ready if another came along. “

If an opportunity came, and I saw I could make more money to support my kids,” she said, “of course I would (go after it).”

Trey Wood can be reached at twood@lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 230.

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WGTC remains ‘on the move’ - One-third of classes now at new facility
By Trey Wood, LaGrange Daily News
Posted: January 11, 2008

There’s plenty of “new” in the new year at West Georgia Technical College.

A new building, new courses and new construction are just a few of the changes taking place at the local technical college, where the 2008 winter quarter began this week.

Over the course of 2007, West Georgia Tech launched new programs and became SACS accredited giving students more options and enabling them to transfer credits earned here to fouryear colleges.

“Things are coming along,” said president Darryl Gilley.

Enrollment for the winter quarter is 1,700 students, about the same as for fall quarter 2007. It feels like an increase, Gilley explained, since enrollment typicaly peaks in fall and dips later in the school year.

“ This time ... we’re even with fall quarter, so we’re not going to lose any students from fall to winter, and we’re up five percent from last winter.”

Gilley attributed the strong winter enrollment to students seeking training for new industries, including Kia. The SACS accreditation and move into the new facility - the former Raytheon building on Orchard Hill Road, were also factors, he said.

New programs include the electrical line worker program, a sports and health fitness program that allows students to become ACE certified personal trainers and an associate’s degree program in manufacturing, where students can continue to Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta for a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

“ The two that are starting to really cause some interest (are) sports and health (and the) crime scene technician program,” said Darryl Harrison, vice president of academic affairs.

Students can also train asrecording studio technicians, allowing work in different media outlets including music recording and broadcasting.

Temporary offices for Kia are also located in the former Raytheon building, so students, school officials and Kia team members mingle regularly.

“We’re getting all these guys coming in, which is good for us because it lets us establish a personal relationship,” Gilley said.

Kia will vacate the office space when the West Point plant is completed and the space will accommodate future expansion of the technical college. Currently about one third of the courses are taught in the new facility while modifications and renovations to the building continue.

“They’re supposed to start the last of the major construction (Thursday),” Gilley said, “so we’re real excited about that.”

General education classrooms, student services, a new entrance to the building and a bridge to the back parking lot are a few of the renovations slated for the Raytheon building. Once construction and relocation is complete, buildings on the old campus will revert to the state, except for the child development and technical service centers and the Callaway Center for International Business Development, which will stay open as part of West Georgia Tech.

Engineering plans to connect the old and new campuses via an extension road from Fort Drive to Orchard Hill Road have been submitted to the state Department of Transportation.

While the new construction and building have been a blessing for the school, they also presented challenges as disruption has become a regular event.

“I think there’s some excitement about the new building, and when we do get everything over there I hope to see a pretty significant increase (in enrollment),” Gilley said. “... We’ll have everything there up and running for fall quarter and be totally out of the old buildings.”

Trey Wood can be reached at twood@lagrangenews. com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 230.

Pictured:West Georgia Technical College student Julien Malebranche, dean of industrial technologies Jim McNair, student Michael Manning and professor of industrial mechanical systems Jim Biagi work with the Festo Didactic automated robot during a pneumatics lesson. Industrial mechanical systems was added as a night course this year as one change the school has made.

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