Recognizing north Fulton County's increased growth in businesses and population – and dramatically changing educational needs – the state board of the Technical College System of Georgia has expanded Gwinnett Tech's service area to now include north Fulton.
Requests from economic development and business leaders for a technical college north of I-285 in north Fulton county drove the decision.
"What's hot for the job market in north Fulton – and across the Innovation Crescent from Atlanta to Athens – is technology, healthcare and life science," said Sharon Bartels, president of Gwinnett Tech. "Expansion to north Fulton will allow Gwinnett Tech to offer degrees and training to students closer to home, and will develop a workforce that can meet the precise needs of the companies and industry in the area."
With a mission of workforce training, Gwinnett Tech already has tremendous experience in a high-growth community. In fact, the mix of businesses in north Fulton County is very similar to Gwinnett County, requiring workers to be educated and trained in fields such as computer programming and information systems, health and life sciences, business and finance.
Research found that students from north Fulton zip codes were commuting an hour to Gwinnett Tech to take advantage of the more than 160 programs of study offered. The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and other business and civic leaders lead the interest in Gwinnett Tech after learning that many key employers in the area preferred employees to have associate degrees and other specialized career-focused training.
"There is definitely a strong need for accessible, high-quality educational training in the north Fulton area," said Bartels. "Gwinnett Tech will be working with leaders there to develop a plan to build a higher education presence in the community."
Bartels said that Gwinnett Tech has made opening a campus in north Fulton its top capital outlay priority for the 2012 fiscal year. However, the state board of the Technical College System of Georgia must first prioritize capital outlay projects for the entire state. The next step would be for the state legislature and the governor to approve funding for the project. There will also be a need for funding from private partnerships to make the campus a reality.
Gwinnett Tech's presence in north Fulton will come in phases from 2010 through 2015. The college will begin offering adult, continuing education and ESL classes, while working simultaneously with north Fulton leadership to secure funding and develop a facility that would offer college credit classes. The first credit classes likely to be offered would be general education courses, as well as business, computer information systems and early childhood care and education.
Plans call for an eventual Gwinnett Tech campus in north Fulton to offer an extensive curriculum ranging from health sciences to public safety and services, criminal justice, sustainable technologies, logistics, culinary arts, photography, drafting, and arts and sciences.
Gwinnett Tech, which is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, opened its doors in Gwinnett County in 1984 and currently serves 23,000 students annually. The school's proven growth model will be used to develop partnerships and eventually deliver comprehensive, quality classes in north Fulton.
In the healthcare sector, Gwinnett Tech already has strong relationships with north Fulton hospitals and healthcare facilities. Many students are currently completing clinical rotations in the area. The college recently broke ground for a 78,000-square-foot Life Sciences Center to be built on its main campus in Lawrenceville which will allow the expansion of health science offerings and the number of students accepted into these highly competitive programs.
North Fulton County was originally part of Gwinnett Tech's service area, however students and area businesses had been serviced by Lanier Technical College in Forsyth County since 2000. Lanier Tech's jurisdiction will continue to service Forsyth, Dawson, Hall, Banks, Barrow and Jackson Counties.
Yes, the times are a'changin, but this time change is a good thing – paving the way to a bright future for students and businesses in north Fulton.
