West Georgia Technical College Launches Full Cosmetology Program at Haralson County CCA
The inaugural class of Haralson County High School’s College and Career Academy Cosmetology program is pictured in the new cosmetology classroom alongside WGTC Director of Dual Enrollment Judi Lovvorn, HC CCA CEO Maegan Rutherford, and instructor Melisa Holdbrooks. The program, offered through a partnership between West Georgia Technical College and Haralson County Schools, marks the first full WGTC program delivered on a high school campus.
TALLAPOOSA, GA – West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is expanding opportunities for high school students by launching a full Cosmetology for Licensure program at Haralson County High School’s College and Career Academy (HC CCA), marking the first time WGTC has offered a complete program on the high school campus site.
The inaugural class consists of 20 high school students who have been admitted into WGTC’s Dual Enrollment program. The curriculum, designed as a two-year pathway, begins with introductory cosmetology courses in the first year and advances to more specialized coursework in the second. Students who complete both years at HC CCA will only need to attend WGTC’s campus for one semester after graduation to earn their Cosmetology for Licensure certificate, qualifying them to sit for the Georgia State Board Exam.
“Partnering with Haralson County CCA allows students to shorten the time needed to earn their post-secondary credential,” said Judi Lovvorn, Director of Dual Enrollment at WGTC. “The beauty of Georgia’s dual enrollment program is that it allows high school students to gain double credit for college courses by providing high school credit and college credit simultaneously. Being able to credential the HCHS instructor to teach the WGTC curriculum at the high school site removes barriers for students and provides greater access to post-secondary training.”
WGTC’s Dual Enrollment program serves more than 22 public high schools across nine school systems within its seven-county service area. This fall, the college will host over 1,800 dual enrolled high school students, making it one of the top colleges for dual enrollment in the Technical College System of Georgia.
“We are excited to partner with WGTC to offer HC CCA’s first on-campus trades dual enrollment opportunity that gives students a head start on their careers,” said Maegan Rutherford, CEO of Haralson County Schools’ College & Career Academy. “Not only will they earn college credits and technical certificates in high school, saving time and money, but they also have a direct path into the workforce.”
For more information on WGTC’s Dual Enrollment opportunities, visit www.westgatech.edu/dual-enrollment.
West Georgia Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson, and Troup counties and class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties, offers more than 120 associate degree, diploma, and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Tech is one of the largest of the state’s 22 technical colleges. For more information, please visit www.westgatech.edu.
