Dozens of industry and community partners from Troup County recently joined West Georgia Technical College President Dr. Julie Post and Vice President of Economic Development Steve Cromer as they officially cut the ribbon on the College’s Regional Workforce Training Center (RWTC).

The Regional Workforce Training Center is a regional hub that offers customized training to the community. It was created to help employers quickly and efficiently close the skills gap that many employers are currently facing.

“Our job is workforce development,” WGTC President Dr. Julie Post said. “The Regional Workforce Training Center stands as a testament to our dedication to fostering economic growth and meeting the demands of a rapidly changing job market. This state-of-the-art facility is equipped with resources and technology that will ensure our customers receive top-tier training in alignment with industry standards.”

The RWTC offers a subscription model that allows business and industry partners to schedule training for their employees well in advance so that production schedules are less impacted. The training can be scheduled at the RWTC throughout the calendar year and when possible, the training can be scheduled at employer facilities for maximum convenience.

Last January, WGTC was selected to receive a $400,000 grant from the Strada Education Network to launch the RWTC. Strada created this grant-making initiative as the first step in a strategy to partner with community colleges to support stronger regional economies and communities. The initiative represents Strada's first major investment in the community college sector and a recognition that community colleges have a unique capacity and proximity to support learners and address changing regional workforce needs.

Delta Airlines’ Ground Support Equipment (Delta GSE) division was the first to utilize the RWTC. Delta GSE employees from across the country continue to travel to the RWTC weekly to receive customized training from WGTC instructors in the areas of mechanical systems, electrical systems, motor controls, programmable logic control systems and hydraulic systems.

Kia, Duracell, Hyundai Transys, Hyundai Mobis, Kason Industries, Bonnell Aluminum, Nestle Purina, Yamaha, Kimberly-Clark, Douglas Chamber, Newnan-Coweta Chamber, and the LaGrange-Troup Chamber of Commerce are just a few of the businesses that have also taken advantage of training at the RWTC.

“The RWTC was built for our community and the entire region to develop our workforce,” said WGTC VP of Economic Development Steve Cromer. “Developing customized training is what we love to do, and we look forward to continuing to support our industry partners and helping them build their workforce.”

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, WGTC conducted informative tours of the cutting-edge facility. These tours offered a firsthand glimpse into the impressive center, emphasizing WGTC's commitment to nurturing a community of highly skilled professionals.

For more information on the Regional Workforce Training Center, contact Massiah Cameron, Training Center Coordinator, at 706-756-4560.

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.