Twelve students from WRCCA and Coffee High are getting their start in Precision Machining on the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College campus in Douglas, Georgia, this fall. “We began the Precision Machining program in Douglas a few years back,” says Dean for Technical and Industrial Programs, Michael Williams. “This is our first time getting high school students excited about the program.” The program was initially offered only in the evenings to regular admission students, but Williams has been eager to get high school students involved for some time. “Students in the program first learn how to manually operate mills and lathes, surface grinders, and heat treat ovens, but if they remain in the program, we will teach them how to program computer numerical controlled mills and lathes as well,” says Robert Emond, Precision Machining Instructor. Machinists make around $20 an hour on average in the region and use their metalworking skills to manufacture parts and equipment for industries. According to Dean Williams, machining is a much-needed program for the area, and the influx of young people into the field is important. “Most young people don’t understand the profession,” he says. “As a result, the workforce is comparatively old. It can be an attractive option for a mechanically-minded student, but students who are interested in computer design can also flourish in this field.”
Wiregrass has been a leader in the state of Georgia with the Dual Enrollment program, being the first college in the state to become nationally accredited through the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP). The college remains the only college in Georgia with this accreditation. The Dual Enrollment program allows qualified high school students to maximize their education and career training by taking courses that earn college and high school credit at the same time. To learn more about the program, visit Wiregrass.edu or email highschoolservices@wiregrass.edu.