Augusta Technical College plans to grow the future workforce by bringing a new advanced manufacturing and engineering technology training facility to Columbia County.
This plan involves building a state-of-the-art manufacturing simulation center that will include classrooms and labs for engineering, robotics, chemical technology, and machining, according to an article from the college. The article said the college’s current facilities are insufficient to train its students for jobs in these STEM fields, and these industries employ more than one-third of the region’s workers.
“The establishment of the facility in Columbia County will be one of the most important and transformative investments for our region for decades to come,” said Augusta Tech President, Dr. Jermaine Whirl. “Progressive communities that attract 21st-century manufacturers have facilities that speak to the manufacturing processes and technologies of the future.”
Whirl said technical colleges in both Charleston and Greenville have built advanced manufacturing training facilities for their students. He said these facilities have not only trained new workers but also attracted new industries to those cities.
“The CSRA’s ability to recruit and retain/retrain our workforce requires capital investments, and this project will set the region apart from our neighboring states and other communities throughout Georgia,” Whirl said.
Columbia County Chamber of Commerce President, Russell Lahodny said the college hasn’t revealed a possible location for the building yet.
“With the growth of innovative manufacturing in Georgia and the Greater Augusta region, this facility will be an asset and economic catalyst for Columbia County, the region – Georgia’s second largest MSA – and the entire state,” Lahodny said. “It will facilitate new investment and job growth for Georgia and support our existing manufacturing industry.”
The article from the college said it’s also working with the Columbia County School System to develop an advanced manufacturing college and career academy on the facility’s campus that will serve as a pipeline for these programs at Augusta Technical College.
For more information, visit business.columbiacountychamber.com/blog/columbia-county-chamber-blog-5390/post/new-manufacturing-facility-will-support-workforce-needs-35213.
