Wiregrass Georgia Technical College and the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Authority hosted a grand opening of the newly expanded and renovated Manufacturing Technology Training Center at the Wiregrass campus. The event was held Thursday, May 20 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm with a grand opening ceremony that started at 4:45 pm. Lidell Greenway, Wiregrass Vice President for Facilities, welcomed the crowd. Philip Smith, Elixir Extrusions Plant Manager, gave an invocation followed by DeAnnia Clements, Wiregrass Interim President. Stuart Smith, Douglas National Bank President and Chairman of the Douglas-Coffee Economic Development Authority closed the ceremony speaking about the benefits of community partnership. The Technical and Industrial classroom and lab area at the college was enlarged to add more capacity and a better instructional environment for students and contract training participants through the college’s Economic Development Department. Community leaders and college supporters were able to tour the newly expanded welding lab, renovated classrooms and labs, and the economic development training space updates. The interior was updated to be more modern and appealing to potential students to aid in student recruitment into these programs. These renovations were made possible through a grant from the Economic Development Authority that partnered with Wiregrass Tech to provide stronger educational support to existing and prospective industries.
“The Douglas-Coffee County Economic Development Authority is proud to partner with Wiregrass Technical College as we take this huge step forward in developing the workforce of the future. The opening of the Manufacturing and Technology Center will enable Wiregrass Technical College to align technical training and education with the needs of our industry partners. The Economic Development Authority would like to thank the leadership at the college for having the vision to make this important component of workforce development possible,” shared Stuart Smith, chairman of the Economic Development Authority.
“On behalf of Wiregrass Tech, we were thrilled to be able to partner with the Douglas-Coffee County Economic Development Authority on this project,” shared Wiregrass Interim President DeAnnia Clements. “This was one of those ‘win-win’ situations. It’s a win for Wiregrass students and faculty to have a great facility to learn and work in, and it’s a win for the community. As our college attracts more students, we will in turn be graduating more skilled and educated graduates into the workforce here in Coffee County.”
The programs in the new training center include Diesel Truck Maintenance, Commercial Truck Driving, Industrial Systems Technology, Precision Machining and Manufacturing, Technical Studies, and Welding. Wiregrass Tech will be hosting Free Application Week June 14-18. Those who apply for Fall Semester during that week in person or online will have their application fee waived. Classes for Fall begin August 19. To learn more about these and other programs, including the over 100 programs that qualify for the HOPE Career Grant, visit Wiregrass.edu.