SUMMER 2003
RESULTS
G E O R G I A D E PA R T M E N T O F TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION
Responding tothe call
Technical colleges are on the scene to meet Georgia's critical need for:
Healthcare workers to fill the shortages Skilled technologists in forensics, fire science
and information security
PLUS...
Summertime spotlight on hospitality & tourism

FROM THE COMMISSIONER

PERHAPS THE ONE QUALITY on which we pride
ourselves most in Georgia's Technical College System is that we are customer focused. But sometimes, when many businesses use that term, it becomes just another buzzword, with nothing standing behind it. That's not the way it is at our technical colleges.

Over the past 15 years, we have developed policies and procedures that ensure we live up to the true meaning of "customer focused." In this issue of Results, we show you just exactly how our programs are responsive to customer needs, and how we have built-in processes that provide the flexibility needed in a swiftly changing economy.

Working with our local boards and various ad hoc committees, we continually review our curricula to make sure we are teaching the skills needed in the contemporary marketplace. New technologies, new business practices and changing demographics require us to constantly revisit what we're doing to make sure our
students remain as competitive as any in the country.

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And being customer focused also has a more human side. It means changing

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Sincerely,

plans when things don't go right; it means helping others when circumstances require a little bit of sacrifice.
Recently, our staff at Moultrie Technical College's campus in Ashburn demonstrated this when they came to the assistance of
Georgia's commissioner of agriculture, whose flight was grounded by bad weather. Pitching in, our staff did what needed to be done, earn-
ing the praise of Dave Carmichael, chief of the Office of Air

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Transportation, whose letter we reprint here.
"Thanks to you and your staff

for a job well done beyond the call of duty,"

writes Mr. Carmichael.

That's what "customer focused" means. From responding to the needs of industry to helping someone in a rainstorm, for Georgia's Technical College System, "customer focused" is not just a buzzword; it is reality.

Kenneth H. Breeden Commissioner

State Board of Technical and Adult Education

William S. Harris Sr. Chair
Harold R. Reynolds Vice Chair
Helen W. Mathis Executive Secretary
Jimmy Allgood George L. Bowen III Sharon H. Douglas

Gwendolyn P. Goodman Warren "Rhubarb" Jones
Jim Lord Dr. Alma G. Noble
Jack Pezold Daniel B. Rather Edgar L. Rhodes
Jimmy Tallent Ben J. Tarbutton Jr.

Administration
Kenneth H. Breeden Commissioner
Chuck Beall Assistant Commissioner, Technical Education
Jean DeVard-Kemp Assistant Commissioner, Adult Literacy Programs
Debbie Dlugolenski Assistant Commissioner, Information Technology,
Planning and Development
Laura Gammage Assistant Commissioner, Administrative Services
Jackie Rohosky Assistant Commissioner, Economic Development Programs

RESULTS Summer 2003 Vol. 6, No. 2 ISSN 1098-0555
Results is published by the Office of Economic Development Programs at the Department of Technical
and Adult Education. Articles may be reprinted with permission.
Director of Communications Rodger Brown
Editor Vicki Phillips
Contributing Writers Matt Bolch, Killian Edwards, Lauren Keating,
Greg Land
Graphic Design Digital Impact Design
Heathere Fraser
Photography David Greear, Scott Martin

Send requests for additional information or comments to the Editor, Results, 1800 Century Place Suite 300,
Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education, Atlanta, GA 30345-4304. (404) 679-2915. E-mail: Results@georgiaquickstart.org
View Results online at http://www.dtae.org DTAE is an equal opportunity employer.

TABLE of CONTENTS 4

4 Tech Talk

Wildlife students protect duck habitat ... Robot builders in national

competition ... Etiquette training for polish and poise ... Two welders with winning ways ... Up-and-coming entrepreneurs ... and more.

8 The Producers

8

Gov. Sonny Perdue and 1,300 business leaders honor top manufacturers at

state celebration.

10 Nursed Back to Health
Suffering from a shortage of nurses and allied health professionals, healthcare
industry receives aid from technical colleges.

15 Honoring the Best

10

Student of the year wins GOAL and teacher of the year wins Rick Perkins

Award. And two deserving EAGLE award winners become Ambassadors for

Literacy.

18 Rare Collection

Forensics, Fire Science, Information Security and other unique programs

produce skilled employees for today's technologies.

24 Are We There Yet?

18

The road ahead looks rosy for Georgia's growing hospitality and tourism

industry, and technical colleges are mapping out courses to fill the need for

qualified workers.

29 Mission: Workforce Training
Quick Start proves a powerful economic incentive as it partners with technical
colleges and Georgia businesses to deliver skills training.
24
33 President's Perspective
Freida Hill of Southwest Georgia Technical College shares her goals and
highlights the school's laudable contributions to the Thomasville community.

ON THE COVER: Photographer David Greear captured EMT students in the midst of hands-on emergency healthcare learning at Lanier Technical College in Oakwood. See more of Greear's photos of Lanier Tech's Allied Health Program students in Nursed Back to Health, page 10.

33

TecN hE TW aS lk

TechTalk TechTalk F R O M

G E O R G I A' S

Wayne Parham / Georgia Trend

Duck Troupe

Swainsboro Tech students get practical experience in wildlife preservation. From left are Charlie
Lanier, Nicole Powell, Joe Dobbins and Dean Roberts.

To benefit wildlife while giving stu-
dents hands-on experience, the Fish and Game Preserve Management program at Swainsboro Tech is partnering with the Duck Conservation Society, a group concerned with the conservation and proper management of wood ducks and their habitat.
Wood ducks nest in holes made in trees, but they can't make these cavities. To compensate for the lack of available holes, wildlife managers use artificial ones, called wood duck boxes, where the wood ducks can nest and raise young in spring.

Funded by a grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Swainsboro Tech and the Duck Conservation Society are installing and monitoring wood duck boxes. Some 750 boxes currently are being monitored.
The monitoring process involves collecting data used to make decisions about man-

agement and population trends. Also, the data is summarized in an annual report submitted to the DNR.
Through this effort, wildlife experts can learn about the reproductive strategies of the wood duck and how a good management program can help restore the numbers of a once-endangered species. R

FINDING A WORD FOR EVERYTHING

We often say that technical educa-
tion has a global reach, but Atlanta Tech student Dr. Salahuddin Sayedi is living proof.
A native of Afghanistan, Sayedi is a respected expert in Islamic law and the Arabic and Farsi languages. He has been quoted in the international press on everything from the Taliban to the new Karzai government in Afghanistan. And he has written articles for the major newspaper of the Czech Republic.
Recently, the Czech Republic's Ministry of Education published a fivelanguage, 840-page dictionary that Sayedi

created to assist individuals from Egypt, Iran and Afghanistan in understanding the Czech language.
Sayedi, a lawyer and foreign relations specialist, is at Atlanta Tech to improve his English. He knows that once his English skills are strengthened, he can continue his scholarly and professional endeavors in the United States. R
Language and law scholar Dr. Salahuddin Sayedi is studying at Atlanta Tech to improve his English skills.

4 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

k TechTalk TechTalk TechTalk T E C H N I C A L

COLLEGE

SYSTEM

Debra Lassiter teaches the fine points of fine dining. Seated, from left, are Amos Paul, Melody Berger and Eron Sunshine.
Marina Phenglamphanh looks on.
C.L..AnoStS
dismissed
These Gwinnett Tech students will be armed
with not only academic and technical skills but also social graces when they enter the business world. Debra Lassiter, a business etiquette trainer with Perfectly Polished Inc., recently conducted a day-long seminar at the college called "Outclass the Competition: Present Yourself with Confidence and Authority." Lassiter addressed such topics as handshaking and interview
attire, and shared business dining tips with the 130 attendees at a four-course meal prepared by Gwinnett Tech culinary arts students. R

ROBOTS
RULE
A group of 11 Brentwood High School students in Sandersville recently
built a robot and advanced from regional to national competition in Houston. The competition -- called FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology -- aims to inspire interest in engineering, science and technology. Sandersville Technical College, NASA and local donors funded the project.
After game rules were announced in January, teams had six weeks to build, program and ship a robot. The Sandersville team, working in space provided by Thiele Kaolin Co., constructed an aluminum robot that weighs 128 pounds, measures 30x36 inches and stands 48 inches high.
The high-tech, spectator sport competition featured an event called "Stack Attack." This game required robots to collect and stack plastic storage containers on their side of the playing field.
More than 20,000 students on some 800 teams participated in the competition. The Brentwood team didn't win at the national level this year, but plans are already under way to enter again next year. R
From left are Ed Harper of Thiele Kaolin; students Wesley Cato and Greg Avrett; and parent helper Tim Cato.

RESULTS 5

TeNcEhWTSalk

F

TechTalk R O M

GEO

TechTalk R G I A ' S

Welding

Wonders

Winning welder Andy Jackson

trucks. His welding and joining instructor at the Crisp County Center satellite campus is Brenda Butler, who is also his aunt.
At DeKalb Tech, another welding student is turning heads for his innovation and determination.
Scott Splawn, 35, worked as a chef in restaurants all over the country before a fall left him paralyzed seven years ago. A motorcycle enthusiast, Splawn decided to craft a new career either repairing motorcycles or opening his own shop.
He entered DeKalb Tech's motorcycle program and then moved to welding. With his newfound welding skills, he's currently building a motorcycle sidecar to accommodate his wheelchair. As soon

South Georgia Tech student Andy
Jackson continues to rack up honors in national welding contests. Jackson last year won the state SkillsUSA-VICA title and placed sixth in national competition. That performance earned him one of only 25 spots in the recent American Welding Society pre-trials, where he placed seventh.
During the course of this competition, he had to submit welded projects every other week (one made of stainless steel, one of aluminum and one of carbon steel) to three different judging corporations: Miller, Lincoln and Hobart.
Jackson has worked for the past three years at Leesburg-based Bird Buggy Inc., which makes quail hunting

Scott Splawn and his sidecar (completed prototype below)
as he acquires the special motorcycle
retrofit allowing him to shift gears by hand instead of by foot, he can tote his wheelchair anywhere. "I just want to be independent," Splawn says. After earning diplomas in motorcycle repair and welding, as well as several technical certificates of credit, he plans to market his ideas for motorcycles that are tailor-made for disabled riders. R

CRASH COURSE
Martin Smith (left), chair of the Georgia Fund, and State Farm's Jack Booth, team manager in the Auto Estimatics department
One person's misfortune is
another's education -- at least if State Farm has anything to do with it. For more than a decade, State Farm Insurance Company has donated a large number of salvaged vehicles to Georgia's technical colleges, giving students critical opportunities to gain hands-on experience.
State Farm's partnership in the Insurance-Education program was recognized recently with an engraved plaque presented by the Georgia Fund for Technical and Adult Education. Martin Smith, chair of the Georgia Fund and director of IT Systems Support at Southwire in Carrollton, presented the plaque to State Farm's Jack Booth, team manager in the Auto Estimatics department.
"The donated cars are given to the colleges' instructional programs, most going to the Automotive Collision Repair and the Automotive Technology programs," says Claire Neme, executive director of the Georgia Fund.
Jill Blizzard, State Farm's public affairs and marketing specialist, says, "We work with schools all over the Southeast and I must say Georgia technical colleges are the easiest to work with. It's a natural partnership that ultimately benefits the public." R

6 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

k TechTalk TechTalk TechTalk T E C H N I C A L

COLLEGE

SYSTEM

In true American fashion, Georgians
are taking the plunge and starting their own businesses -- and Georgia's technical colleges are serving as a springboard. "We prepare students to own their own businesses," says Rebecca Hester, head of the Marketing Management program at Savannah Tech. "Most are retail and service businesses. An example is John Smyre, who has an Allstate agency. Another has a funeral home in Savannah. We have one with a consignment shop, another with a car wash, and another with a recording studio and restaurant."
Some technical colleges offer a technical certificate of credit in entrepreneurship, and others offer an entrepreneurship course as part of the broader marketing curriculum. At other colleges, Entrepreneurship is one of five specializations in the Marketing Management diploma program. (The others are Marketing Administration, Retail Management, Fashion Merchandising, and Banking and Finance.) Students in each of the five areas take the same core classes in English, math, professional development, computers, marketing, sales, economics and business law.
Those specializing in Entrepreneurship go on to focus on accounting, advertising, merchandising management and small business management. Occupational-based instruction rounds out the program, with students completing a real-life business internship.
The newest program can be found at East Central Tech, which launched it as a result of a study conducted by The Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. The study found that 23 percent of technical college graduates started their own businesses, and 78 percent were still in business 10 years later.
The DTAE long ago identified the need to provide entrepreneurship training, since the technical colleges are tied so closely to

Entrepreneurial Solution
How technical colleges are helping aspiring business owners

When Keilani Stinson graduated from Flint River Technical College in Thomaston with a diploma in practical nursing, she took her licensure exam and moved to Atlanta to work in the medical records department of Shepherd Center. Once she became an LPN, Stinson went to work for a healthcare company caring for dialysis patients, and then seized the opportunity to establish her own home healthcare business, Servants of the Divine, which serves Metro Atlanta and employs three LPNs, two personal-care technicians and a secretary.

local economic development. "Most new job growth and product innovation in our economy is from small business," says John Overman, who teaches marketing at Moultrie Tech.
So it's no surprise that the tech colleges' economic development divisions have had a hand in promoting entrepreneurship. At Southeastern Tech, for example, the economic development group is teaming with the Toombs-Montgomery Chamber of Commerce to draw from local resources to identify, train and encourage promising business owners.
"They have a professional support staff to help potential entrepreneurs," says Ashley Harmon, head of Southeastern Tech's Marketing Management program.

Southeastern Tech's efforts are part of a 21-county initiative of Georgia Tech's Economic Development Institute and the Georgia Rural Economic Development Center at East Georgia College.
"We assist entrepreneurs in many ways," says Patrick Wilbanks, who coordinates the program. "We evaluate business plans, identify facilities, design layouts, help with equipment process flow, find suppliers and do marketing research. We also provide a start-up kit and a mentoring program.
"The only way to grow and retain businesses is by encouraging entrepreneurship," he continues. "And the technical colleges are strategically located so they can support the necessary training." R

RESULTS 7

BY VICKI PHILLIPS

Georgia manufacturers are recognized

for their vital economic role
IN TRIBUTE to the annual
$61 billion and 500,000 jobs it adds to Georgia's economy, the manufacturing sector took center stage during the ninth annual Manufacturing Appreciation Week. The event culminated in the Governor's Awards Luncheon held April 17 in Atlanta.
Thanking manufacturers for their hard work and sizeable economic contribution, Gov. Sonny Perdue delivered the keynote address to an audience of 1,300

TPhReOD

business leaders and economic developers.

"As your governor," he said, "I am not going to

forget the people who take raw materials and add

value to those products, creating goods that people

will buy. That contributes to our tax base through

employment and exports. You have my heartfelt

appreciation for what you do for our state."

Perdue then bestowed the Manufacturer of the

Year award to three companies. Out of a field of 114

companies nominated by their local communities, the

winners were selected based on their civic participa-

tion, economic impact and commitment to Georgia.

This year's winners are:

Kubota Manufacturing of America, large manu-

facturer (more than

750 employees).

Operating in Hall

County for 14 years,

Kubota makes lawn

mowers and tractor

implements at its

616,000-sq.-ft. facil-

ity. The company

employs some 1,200

people and helped

create another 100

jobs by attracting

four other firms to

the area.

Gov. Sonny Perdue, keynote speaker for the event, credited manufacturers with keeping Georgia's economy one of the nation's strongest.

Rockwell Automation, medium manufacturer (151-750 employees). This Dublin company makes printed circuit board assemblies for programmable logic controllers, producing 3 million automation devices annually. It employs 365 Georgians. Lee Container Corp., small manufacturer (150 or fewer employees). This Homerville firm makes plastic containers for the beverage and agriculture industries, providing 150 jobs in southeast Georgia.

From left: Representing Lee Container Corp. (small manufacturer) are Roy Rhodes, quality systems
manager, and Don Lee, president. From Kubota (large manufacturer) is Hank Kawasaki, VP of administration. Next, Gov. Perdue presents the award to Kubota President John Shiraishi, who is accompanied by Mike Vincent, VP of
manufacturing, and Ike Korogi, VP of new products. Accepting the award for Rockwell Automation (medium manufacturer) are Robert Murphy, director of operations,
and Steve Eisenbrown, senior VP of the Automation Control and Information Group.

2003 MA

8 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

DTAE's Ken Breeden (left) and Glenn Cornell of GDITT were praised by Gov. Perdue for their effective partnership in attracting new business to the state.

DUCERS
One popular feature of Manufacturing Appreciation Week is a design contest for schoolchildren, which teachers across the state use to educate students about manufacturing's contributions and career opportunities. Creating artwork themed around manufacturing, high school students design T-shirts, middle school students make posters and elementary students draw placemats. The 3,000 entries submitted this year were on display in the exhibit area outside the luncheon hall.
W WINNERS

This year's winners are Klive Bertrand, a senior at DeKalb High School of Technology North in Dunwoody; Haley King, an eighth-grader at Ben Hill County Middle School in Fitzgerald; and Misty Michelle Floyd, a fifth-grader at Oak Vista Elementary School in Jesup.
Manufacturing Appreciation Week is organized by the DTAE and the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism. The luncheon featured remarks by the two agency commissioners, who often work together on economic development efforts.
GDITT Commissioner Glenn Cornell acknowledged the attendance of the international community at the luncheon and then introduced the governor.
"Perhaps we could put one of those labels on him that says `Made in Georgia,'" he said, recounting Perdue's years in Houston County and the University of Georgia, his entrepreneurial success in middle Georgia, and his long history of Georgia public service.
DTAE Commissioner Ken Breeden praised Georgia for being among the top three states in job growth and personal income growth, attributing the state's balanced economy in part to manufacturing.
"We have to have a strong manufacturing sector or we don't have a strong economy," he said. "Georgia's manufacturing industries are consistently committed to working in a high-performance work environment and creating high-skill, high-wage jobs. That's what you do every day. And that's what builds a good economy."
Other luncheon speakers were Rick Duke, director of Georgia Tech's Economic Development Institute; Jim Reese, CEO of Randstad NorthAmerica; Phil Jacobs, president of BellSouth, Georgia Operations; and David Radcliffe, president of Georgia Power.
Jerry Silvio of Pattillo Construction and Aaron Estis of BearingPoint presented awards to the design contest winners. Channel 11's Wes Sarginson emceed the event. R

RESULTS 9

NURSED

to

Technical colleges are giving critical care
to the health industry's labor shortages

Health

10 D1E0PADRETPMARETNMT EONFT TOEFCHTENCICHANLICAANLDAANDDUALTDUEDLTUECDAUTICOANTION

C

BY MATT BOLCH

raig McDaniel still tells a story from the mid-1980s about

need for new programs, then putting them in place.

how Coosa Valley Technical College launched several of its

healthcare programs in response to the needs of his community.

PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEY

"A letter came across my desk from the director of respirato-

Some 16 years after holding the summit, Coosa Valley Tech is

ry therapy at Redmond Regional Medical Center almost begging christening a $9 million, 53,000-sq.-ft. health technology building

us to start a respiratory therapy program," recalls McDaniel, who to house existing health programs and begin new courses, includ-

was then VP of economic development and is now president of

ing nuclear medicine, surgical tech and deep tissue massage.

the college. "The three-page letter stated that there was a critical McDaniel credits local hospital support with securing funding for

shortage. And we were motivated to make it happen."

the new building through the governor's office and state

That letter prompted Coosa Valley and Floyd College to

Legislature.

organize a health occupation summit in 1987 on the Floyd cam-

"Because of the concentration of healthcare providers in the

pus, which drew health professionals from Floyd, Gordon, Pope Rome area, we have a very strong relationship with the healthcare

and Bartow counties in Georgia, as well as Cherokee County,

community," McDaniel says.

Alabama. From that meeting came plans to start respiratory ther-

Nowhere in the state is there a stronger hospital-college

apy, radiological technology, paramedic, surgical tech and med-

partnership than in Columbus, where major hospitals have donat-

ical lab assistant programs. Floyd College started the latter pro-

ed more than $500,000 to the Health Science Division at

gram, with Coosa Valley eventually offering the rest.

Columbus Technical College. "We have a tremendous relationship

"That's how it starts -- with a letter or a conversation at a

with our hospital CEOs," says Bob Jones, President of Columbus

Rotary Club or Chamber meeting," McDaniel says. "Our atti-

Technical College, which has one of the largest Health Science

tude from Day One has been if there's a need, we're going to

Divisions in Georgia. In fact, says Jones, all the major hospital

meet it. We'll add any new program that's viable. If we ever hear CEOs are on the foundation's board.

of a need from the healthcare community, we don't turn our

The college has experienced terrific growth in enrollment in

back. We make it work."

its health sciences program, leaping from 257 students in 1999 to

At a time when vacancies in the healthcare field are going 1,295 in 2002. In response to demand, numerous new programs

unfilled because of labor shortages, that can-do attitude is helping have been added, including an Associate Degree in Nursing

beef up the ranks of Georgians qualified to work in this field.

(accredited in March), Dental Hygiene, Dental Assisting,

While 11,400 jobs were added last year in the education and Pharmacy Technician, Long Term Care Technician and Hospital

healthcare fields in Georgia, vacancy rates continue to hover in Transporter. And recently the board of directors of The Medical

double digits in many healthcare professions. The Georgia Center of Columbus, which has operated a radiology school for

Department of Community Health's FY02 annual report shows an many years, voted to transfer control of the Radiologic

increase in the need for LPNs among state

Technology program to Columbus Technical

nursing homes rising to 15.5 percent. And

College this fall.

between 1998 and 2008, says the Georgia

Jones says the college has procured 29

Department of Labor, the number of annual

acres of property with an eye toward expan-

openings for LPNs will be 1,160. Moreover,

sion. "The first thing to be built will be a new

recruitment is a problem for three-fourths of

health sciences facility," he says.

the nation's long-term health facilities, accord-

"The physical facilities that Columbus

ing to the American Health Care Association.

Technical College has developed and pro-

Fortunately, Georgia's technical colleges have been preparing to fill these voids wherever possible. Not only are new nursing

Craig McDaniel, president, Coosa Valley Technical College

Bob Jones, president, Columbus Technical College

posed for the future have captured the interest of students," says Larry Sanders, CEO of Columbus Regional Healthcare Systems.

programs popping up, but colleges are adding courses in other

"We made a conscious, major decision to align ourselves with

health areas, from surgical tech and medical assisting to ultra-

them in a long-term partnership."

sound, radiology and pharmacology. The courses are in demand,

Partnerships with local hospitals are benefiting the communi-

with waiting lists in some programs and enrollment climbing.

ty as well. "Of the 26 students who graduated from the Associate

As they do with other local businesses, the technical colleges Degree Nursing Program last year, 23 were hired by local health-

are working closely with area hospitals and clinics to identify the care facilities," says Jones.

continued next page

RESULTS 11

Other colleges, too, are benefiting from loyal relationships

with their local medical facilities, and vice versa.

For example, Lanier Tech started a Surgical Technology

program in response to a need in its service area, says Jamey

Watson, program director. The Northeast Georgia Medical

Center and Health System provided instruments and equipment,

including an anesthesia machine, before the program started in

fall 1999. More recently, the school bought laparoscopic equip-

ment, and the hospital donated the instruments to go with it.

"Now, when our students go to clinicals, they're already

familiar with laparoscopic surgery, which is a huge advantage to

them," Watson says. "The hospital has been a partner in the

success of the program. Most of our graduates go to work there."

Anita Scott, the hospital's academic liaison, says the Medical

Center is taking a proactive approach to filling vacancies. "The

position I hold is literally as a facilitator to bring people into

healthcare fields," she says. The Gainesville facility, which last

year began conducting open-heart surgery, currently has only

two vacancies for its 27 surgical tech positions. The number of

vacancies is substantially lower than it was before the pro-

gram at Lanier Tech started, says Scott.

In Acworth, North Metro Technical College

greatly expanded its healthcare offerings after local

hospitals expressed a need. Medical assisting and relat-

ed courses were added in fall 2002, and a new practical

nursing course starts this fall.

"In April 2001 when I got here, the only health-

care offering was the EMT program," recalls college

President Steve Dougherty. "Local hospitals were say-

ing they needed a lot more people. They were quite

concerned about not only the growth in demand for

workers but also the prospect of their current workforce

retiring."

Two key advisory

board members at

North Metro Tech --

Cartersville Medical

Center CEO Keith

Sandlin and WellStar

Health System VP

Mark Haney -- help

the college stay

Ken Beverly, president and CEO of Archbold Medical Center, and Steve Dougherty, president, North Metro Technical College

attuned to local healthcare needs, typifying the technical

colleges' symbiotic relationships with local businesses.

Perhaps the longest tie between a technical college and a

local hospital exists in Thomasville between Southwest Georgia

Technical College and Archbold Medical Center. The relation-

ship dates back to 1963, when an Archbold nurse helped start

the LPN program.

"We've been joined at the hip ever since," says Ken Beverly,

president and CEO of the hospital, who this year chairs the

Georgia Hospital Association. Beverly, a native of Thomasville, has been with the hospital for 29 years.
In a recent display of public-private cooperation, the hospital backed the college in its efforts to secure funding from the General Assembly for an expansion of the school's health occupation facility. The hospital also agreed to help fund construction and hold a fund-raising drive to equip the facility. Beverly recalls that college President Freida Hill called him one winter day. "She said, `Gosh Ken, we really need your support on this.' And we said, `Of course.'"

Columbus Technical College ran a clever ad campaign that seems to be paying off. Of the 40 students enrolled in this year's Associate Nursing Degree program, 15 are men.

"If there's a need, we're going t

Why such commitment? Currently, the nursing vacancy rates at Archbold are relatively low: 6 percent for RNs and 5 percent for LPNs. "Without Southwest Georgia Tech, we'd be in bad trouble," Beverly says.
FLEXIBILITY FOR NURSING STUDENTS
The technical colleges' healthcare programs are successful not only because they respond to local business needs, but also because they provide flexibility for students, especially nursing students.
A pilot project at DeKalb Technical College, for example, aims to accommodate students' schedules in completing their clinicals at local hospitals. "In order to provide the kind of experience that students need, you have to be flexible enough to get into clinical sites at off times," says Geri Moreland, chair of the Health and Human Services department.
"We'll do whatever it takes so students get the best training possible," Moreland says. "We have had high pass rates on the state licensing exam, so it signals we're doing something right."
Tamiko Smith, 30, a practical nursing student at DeKalb Tech,

12 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

says her 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. clinical rotation at Rockdale Hospital in Conyers allowed her to see a different side of nursing.
"It worked out well," she says. "It was different, but it helped us help patients." The odd shift meant that students met with two sets of nurses, who brought varying perspectives.
"The experience was touching to me," Smith says, "being able to give patients one-on-one attention. They'll ask, `How long will you be here?' And I can say I'll be around after they fall asleep -- you can be there to ease them, to help them."
At North Georgia Technical College, the need for flexibility among practical nursing students prompted the school to start a part-time program at its Blairsville campus. Here, as at the main Clarkesville campus, most students are already working in the healthcare industry. "They can't quit their jobs to go to school, so this fits the bill," says Joanne Greer, VP of instructional services
to meet it."-- PRESIDENT CRAIG MCDANIEL, COOSA VALLEY TECH

"The practical nursing program is the most rigorous and is among the most rewarding on campus," says Parker. "They're helping people who need their help on an immediate basis."

OTHER HEALTHCARE EFFORTS

Parker points to other soughtafter healthcare programs offered at his college. Albany Tech started

Anthony Parker, president, Albany Technical College

diploma and associate degree programs in pharmacy technology

in response to a need expressed by area hospitals. And the radi-

ologic technology course currently has a 24- to 36-month wait-

ing list, Parker says.

One unique healthcare training program can be found at

Atlanta Technical College. The National Kidney Foundation

has endorsed its hemodialysis technology program, and the

continued next page

at the college. "It's a creative program." Students have started studies in core courses, but the pro-
gram doesn't officially begin until Fall quarter. There are waiting lists for full-time practical nursing programs at both campuses, so the part-time program helps fill the ever-increasing demand.
"The demand from students far outweighs the supply," Greer says. "It's pretty true all over the state."
And that's because students recognize opportunity when they see it. Placement rates in health technologies programs are among the highest of all degrees and diplomas conferred in the Technical College System. At Albany Technical College, for instance, nursing graduates have a 95 percent placement rate.
But besides looking forward to ample job opportunities, nursing students can glean other, more intangible rewards, says Anthony Parker, president of Albany Tech.
"Our graduates are behind the scenes and at the forefront to provide patients what they need to get well or keep from getting sick," he says. The college currently has 212 practical nursing students enrolled on two campuses.

HIGH-SCORING HYGIENISTS
Athens Technical College saw its 2002 dental hygiene gradu-
ates place 15th out of 236 associate and baccalaureate dental hygiene programs that took the National Board of Dental Hygiene exam.
Only four years old, the program has earned an outstanding reputation since Jamie Moss moved from Florence-Darlington (S.C.) Technical College to start the dental hygiene curriculum."The students are my driving and motivating force," says Moss, program director.
And that commitment has shown from the day Moss arrived in Athens. Besides shaping a quality program at the technical college, she and her team of staff and students provide dental care for the homeless and educate the community on the importance of dental hygiene. In recognition of her work, Athens-Clarke County Mayor Heidi Davison declared Feb. 25 Jamie A. Moss Day.
Despite the accolades heaped on Moss, she deflects the acclaim onto the faculty and, especially, the students."Bottom line, it comes down to the students and what they want to do," she says.
The dental hygiene program stresses whole-body health, with students learning how to take vital signs, perform head and neck examinations, update medical histories, screen for oral cancer and refer patients to their primary care physicians when necessary.
The curriculum finds students in the classroom nearly every weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the two-year program. Many students take core healthcare courses early to lighten the load of the dental hygiene program.
Graduates enjoy a high placement rate, commanding salaries of nearly $40 per hour. Moss notes that many graduates migrate to urban areas, but that rural dentists also need competent hygienists.
The program director credits her students with "hunkering down and getting the job done" for scoring so high on the national tests. R
RESULTS 13

college has been recognized as the state provider of advanced hemodialysis training.
The program was started about a year ago at the request of the dialysis industry, says Constance Rowan, director of the Health and Human Services division of Atlanta Tech. Following two quarters of training, technicians wind up in private and hospital-run dialysis centers, earning between $12 and $15 an hour, depending on experience, Rowan says.
Columbus Technical College is teaching Fire Department employees to become EMTs. The consolidation of Columbus' emergency medical services and fire department spurred the desire to cross-train the fire personnel, says Linn Storey, chair

of the college's Health Science department. Firefighters receive the same instruction
offered on campus, but the curriculum is taken to the fire hall during workers' shifts.
Currently, firefighters who want to advance into the paramedic technology field must attend classes at the college.
But Storey says that might change if the number of firefighters who desire advanced training increases.
"I don't think the public has an appreciation of how rigid and demanding the EMT program is," Storey says. "It takes a lot of clinical experience and a lot of classroom work to be able to react quickly when the situation demands it."
Whether it's EMTs, nurses, radiologic technicians or surgical technicians, the need for well-trained healthcare professionals is ballooning -- and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.
"The crisis of healthcare is on us," says Ken Beverly of Archbold Medical Center, citing the aging population, the increased demand for health services, and what Beverly calls the "unbelievable" demand for chronic disease care. He notes that healthcare is the largest sector of the economy, accounting for 15 percent of the gross domestic product.
It will take several years of dedicated resources for the healthcare industry to keep pace with the growth, he says, adding, "Only with the DTAE will we catch up." R

FROM JEANS TO NURSING
When the Levi plant closed in June 2002, Fannin County lost its
largest employer, and 400 people lost their jobs. For 19 of those former employees, the future looks bright, thanks
to a cooperative effort among several local, state and federal agencies that brought a special, one-time practical nursing program to an empty storefront in Blue Ridge.
Students will graduate in December,"and job prospects appear to be good," says Glenn Rasco, VP of economic development at Appalachian Technical College, which helped set up the class. A survey of displaced workers showed interest in healthcare fields, but respondents were unwilling to drive the 35 miles from Blue Ridge to Appalachian Tech's Jasper campus.
The solution? Bring the classroom to them. Immediately after the plant closure was announced, Fannin County officials formed a task force to find ways to help. For the nursing program, Appalachian Tech staff worked with the Fannin County Economic Development Authority, the Georgia Department of Labor and the Coosa Valley Regional Development Center to secure federal

Workforce Investment Act funds.The money was used to set up the classroom, find an instructor and receive state approval to offer the one-time class exclusively to laid-off Levi workers.
"There's no one individual you can credit the effort to," Rasco says."It was just through working together that we made this happen."
Nancy Smith had just moved with her family to North Georgia when the registered nurse applied to lead the program in Blue Ridge."They're just a great group of ladies," Smith said."They're totally dedicated to this training.They have a great work ethic, and are used to showing up on time and getting the job done."
Nearly 100 other displaced Levi workers are taking classes at Appalachian Tech, which provides transportation to the main campus from Fannin County for students enrolled in other courses of study.
Lynn Henry, 51, who worked for 22 years as a mechanic at the Levi plant, is looking forward to her new career as a practical nurse.
Henry and her daughter Julie Townson started taking core classes together before splitting to start nursing studies -- Henry to Blue Ridge and Townson to Appalachian Tech's main campus.
Henry hopes to work at Fannin Regional Hospital or become a home healthcare nurse. She says she's "doing fine" with her studies.
"It's quite a bit different than fixing a sewing machine," Henry says. "People are a lot more complicated than machines." R

14 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

HONORING

FOX5 news anchor Cory Thompson emceed the GOAL and Rick Perkins Award banquet.

THE

F BEST ollowing a tradition of recognizing exceptional students and instructors, the DTAE held its

Each year the DTAE focuses

annual GOAL and Rick Perkins Award banquet on May

29 in Atlanta. The gala event showcased the student and teacher winners from each technical college, with each

attention on outstanding individ-

candidate hopeful to take home the state title.

An acronym for Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership, GOAL is celebrating its 32nd year of paying

uals by hosting two important

tribute to the best of all the students enrolled in the tech-

nical college system -- a total currently exceeding 142,000. And the Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Education, now in its 13th year, honors the Instructor of the Year.
For 2003, the GOAL was awarded to

competitions: one in Technical Education and the other in

DTAE Commissioner Ken Breeden made the award presentations at the two events.

Christina Dixon, a culinary arts student

at Atlanta Technical College, who won a new Chevy Cavalier donated by Bill

Adult Literacy. This year's events, once

Heard Chevrolet. The Rick Perkins

Award went to Amy Holloway, who teaches English at Middle Georgia Technical

again, yielded a group of nominees that

College. Dixon and Holloway will serve as

year-long ambassadors of technical education, traveling around the

shined a bright light on the

state and speaking to high

school counselors and teachers, businesses, community groups,

efforts of our colleges and the

and even the Georgia General

Assembly during its next session. In fact, one legislator got a

results they produce.

first look at these fine exam-

ples of the teaching and learning taking place in the state's

BY VICKI PHILLIPS

technical colleges. The

Honorable Eric Johnson,

continued next page

Amy Holloway, recipient of the 2003 Rick Perkins Award

RESULTS 15

ABOUT THE WINNERS

"I made history

At age 16, CHRISTINA DIXON pondered her choices for a future career and narrowed them to law and cui-

tonight!"

sine. A friend asked her what profession she would enter if she wasn't paid but loved the work.
Already zealous about cooking, Dixon knew which choice to make. She completed the Certified

CHRISTINA DIXON, the first culinary arts student to win the GOAL in its 32-year history

Customer Service Specialist course at Atlanta

Technical College, then pursued an education there in culinary arts.

continued from previous page

"It's hard work," she said, "but I love people and I love food, so I know I made the right decision." Dixon, who enjoys fine arts, is especially intrigued with the presentation aspect of culinary arts, whether shaping a melon or creating an eye-pleasing canap.
After earning an associate degree in culinary arts, Dixon plans to attend DeVry University using the scholarship she received as a college GOAL win-

the president pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate, delivered the keynote address to a 900-strong audience consisting of dignitaries from government and civic groups throughout Georgia, as well as faculty and staff of the technical colleges.
Referencing the education budget protected in the last legislative session, Johnson

ner to study business administration with an emphasis

said, "Your Legislature knows how hard you

on small business. She says that will dovetail nicely with

work and what you deserve." He also com-

the Customer Service course she took at Atlanta Technical College, giving her a solid foundation on which to build her dream: a catering business in Atlanta.
Articulate and animated, Dixon exudes enthusiasm about her upcoming year as an ambassador for the technical college system. "My message to others will be to find something you truly love doing," she said, "and technical education can help you achieve that goal."

mended the "motivated students, talented faculty, and dedicated DTAE staff and board members" present at the ceremony.
With excitement mounting, Assistant Commissioner Chuck Beall introduced the finalists for the Rick Perkins Award, and Commissioner Ken Breeden announced

ENGLISH INSTRUCTOR AMY HOLLOWAY knows that teaching humanities differs from teaching technology-oriented fields offered at technical colleges. "Verbs don't change much," she

Holloway as the winner and presented her with a check for $1,000.
"Technical colleges have the hardest-

said, adding that she's not likely to consult with a local man-

working and most dedicated people I've ever

ufacturer and inquire, "How do you want your workers to use

met," Amy Holloway said. Acknowledging

prepositions?"

Ever the pragmatist, Holloway wants her instruction to

relate to the real world, to impact students in their chosen

occupations. So, she always asks her students at Middle

Georgia Technical College, "Why do we study literature?"

Her own answer to that question: "We are all, first and foremost, human

beings. Literature addresses universal themes. It teaches us how to handle

conflict; it allows us to step inside someone else's shoes. Without literature, I

wouldn't know, for example, what it was like to be a young, AfricanAmerican male in the 1960s."
Holloway wants people to realize that technical colleges require standard core classes so that students have good communication and

Eric Johnson, president pro tem of the Georgia Senate

Middle Georgia Tech, she added, "Without your love and laughter I wouldn't be here tonight. And to all the GOAL students, you're the reason we're here."
That reason became evident when the GOAL finalists were introduced and Christina Dixon was proclaimed winner. In a speech punctuated with sobs of joy and surprise, Dixon exclaimed, "I made history tonight!" She is the first culinary arts student to win the GOAL.

math skills when they enter the workforce. She says the best paper she

"When I started taking classes at

ever received was written by an aircraft structural technology student on the Wallace Stevens poem Man with a Blue Guitar.
Teaching at Middle Georgia Tech has allowed her to interact with the community, to have contact with the public rather than being limited to a pedagogical world.
"I'm a big believer in technical education," she said, "so I'm thrilled to be a cheerleader. I can't imagine any job more gratifying than teaching in a technical college. It's amazing the difference we're making in people's lives. And after all, isn't that why we go into teaching?" R

Atlanta Tech, I never thought I'd be standing here tonight," she beamed. The homeschooled Dixon thanked her parents and encouraged all the GOAL nominees to be ambassadors for Georgia's technical colleges.
"Go back to all parts of Georgia and tell everyone they can achieve great things through technical education." R

16 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

Dreaming EAGLES

HONORING

abusive marriage. Despite a child-

THE
BEST

hood dream of becoming a lawyer,

Robinson ended up devoid of any self-esteem.

"My dream died," she said. "I thought I could never attain

a higher education, that only the rich could go to college."

Two inspiring students win

But then she met her GED instructor, who lifted Robinson out of a cycle of hopelessness. "She gave me the courage and sup-

prestigious Adult Literacy award

port I needed," Robinson said. "She is why I'm standing here today."

Earning a GED boosted her spirits, buoyed her self-confi-

dence and beckoned her to return to her childhood dream. "I

am now majoring in pre-law," she said as the audience cheered

her accomplishment. "I see what education has done to my life."

In his acceptance speech, Cortez Scott also credited educa-

T he night air was biting cold, but inside, the banquet hall glowed with warm enthusiasm for the two winners of the 10th annual EAGLE awards competition, held Jan. 23 in Atlanta. EAGLE, which stands for Exceptional Adult

tion with altering the course of his seemingly disaster-bound adolescence in Syracuse, N.Y. "I was hanging with the wrong crowd," he recalled, describing a rough street life in the company of other high school dropouts.
"My mother kept telling me I should use my talents. I guess

Georgian in Literacy Education, is the premier adult literacy stu-

the message stuck," he said, "because I finally came to my senses."

dent recognition program, designed to spotlight educational

A move to Georgia helped him embark on a new path. After

opportunities available in local communities. The event involves

receiving his GED, he plans to attend college and pursue a

several hundred students advancing through local to state-level

career in the music industry. "I want to make my mom proud."

competition, where judges select a winner in each of two cate-

Now a role model for others, Scott talks to teenagers in his

gories.

Milledgeville community about staying away from trouble. "I

This year, Melissa Robinson from Moultrie Technical College tell them that if they keep their heads up, they will fly to suc-

won in the GED Graduate category. Cortez Scott from Central

cess," said the EAGLE winner.

Georgia Technical College won in the Current Student category.

Such mentoring is just the mission envisioned by Dr. Jean

Robinson and Scott thus began their year-long tenure as

DeVard-Kemp, assistant commissioner of Adult Literacy

Ambassadors for Literacy, promoting lifelong learning and

Programs. "All of you, because of your attitude and determina-

encouraging others to become learners. They work as volunteers,

tion, are spokespersons for adult literacy in Georgia," said Dr.

peer tutors and recruiters of other students in local programs.

DeVard-Kemp, speaking enthusiastically to the audience. "Go

Robinson is no stranger to such efforts. Besides volunteering

back to your families and schools, your churches and neighbor-

at the Adult Education Center and at her son's elementary school, hoods, and encourage others to do what you have done."

she participates in an outreach ministry at the Tift County Law

During the banquet, DTAE Commissioner Ken Breeden

Enforcement Center, where she

visited each table, shaking hands and

helps women prisoners transform their lives through education.
Robinson has firsthand knowl-

Melissa Robinson, Dr. Jean DeVard-Kemp and Cortez Scott

chatting with every single nominee. Later, speaking onstage, he noted, "Every student here is continuing their

edge of how education can change

education. You're making us all proud

lives, as she recounted in her story

of you."

in her moving acceptance speech.

Pride, self-esteem, education and

"I made some bad choices,"

dreams -- these were the themes that

she said, after describing a life of

pervaded the heartwarming evening.

disappointment and failure. Raised

As Scott said, "If you believe in

by addict parents who didn't value

yourself, stay focused, work hard and

education, she quit school in the

be persistent, you can make all your

eighth grade and later endured an

dreams come true." R

RESULTS 17

Rare A roundup of unique
programs that fit today's changing technologies
COLLE
EVOLVING FAR BEYOND THEIR ROOTS, today's technical colleges are at
the forefront in teaching progressive, technology-oriented fields. Professions that didn't even exist 50 years ago are suddenly critical in today's political, social, business and economic climates. And even established ones must adapt to the ongoing development of new technologies.
In typical fashion, Georgia's technical colleges have responded with educational programs to suit the times. The following stories highlight some of the unique programs offered around the state.

Top: Missy Fox checks for fingerprints on a coffee can found at a "crime" scene. Bottom: From left, forensic students Romearo Gordon and Callie Wood gather evidence at the direction of Cathy Sapp, a GBI crime scene specialist.

Forensic Science

Technology

The room is pitch dark, the crime

The program offers a broad educa-

scene fresh, but Callie Wood is running tion in criminal justice, with specialties in

out of time. There's a suspect on the

crime scene investigation. Graduates can

loose, but he's left something behind -- work as crime scene investigators or pur-

an empty coffee can. She snaps on a pair sue careers in criminal justice, corrections

of rubber gloves and grabs a soft red

or law enforcement. Two-year degree,

brush. After dipping the brush in irides- diploma and certificate options are avail-

cent powder, she twirls it gently against able.

the can.

When the program debuted last fall,

"We've got to get you twirling

enrollment far exceeded expectations. "In

faster or we'll be at this crime scene all our first quarter, we had more than 70

day," says Cathy Sapp, a crime scene

students," says Michael Burrell, dean of

specialist with the Georgia Bureau of

Ogeechee Tech's Allied Health

Investigations. Suddenly, a fingerprint

Department. Experts like Cathy Sapp

emerges. Wood beams.

teach specific skills in the investigations

Wood is a student at Ogeechee

classes. According to Rabeler, up to 20

Technical College's Forensic Science

people can teach one class.

Technology program, the only one in

"One reality of 9/11 is an increase of

Georgia. "Our goal is to teach students opportunities in local law enforcement,

how to identify, collect, preserve and

particularly in investigations," says

analyze crime scene evidence," says lead Rabeler. "We are trying to replace some

instructor Greg Rabeler.

of the expertise that will be drawn into

18 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

BY LAUREN KEATING
ECTION

the federal system to deal with terrorism." Back at the crime scene, the class moves to
the next task: scanning the floor for evidence. Sapp introduces students to a Luma-Lite, a $15,000 light the size of a small briefcase that is used to detect blood, hair or fibers. Students sprinkle powder on the floor, put on orange goggles for viewing, turn on the light and examine the floor. Powder clumps to evidence in orange-glowing blobs. Suddenly, Sapp spins and points the Luma-Lite at Wood. "Look at Callie's shirt," she says, which is glowing orange. In her zeal to crack the case, Wood doused herself.
A definite learning moment.

The basset hound's somber brown eyes
are half-closed. When Melanie Parham enters the ICU ward, he perks up, even grinning when she gently rubs his ears, despite the tubes in his nose. Bandages on his back cover recent surgery. "He's a little whiny sometimes when we pick him up because his back hurts," Parham says.
Parham, a student in Athens Technical College's Veterinary Technology program, is completing clinical rotations at UGA's renowned veterinary hospital, thanks to an inventive partnership between Athens Tech and the University of Georgia.
"The most unique feature of this program is the collaborative effort between a DTAE facility and a Board of Regents facility for clinical training," says Dr. Carole Miller, program director.
First-year classroom instruction is offered at Athens Tech. Second-year students complete nine rotations at the teaching hospital.

Founded in 2001, the program received full accreditation last April from the American Veterinary Medical Association. It was created at the request of the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association, which recognized that trained technicians are vital to veterinary practices.
"Medicine becomes more technical every year," says Dr. Tim Montgomery, owner of Dacula Animal Hospital and past president of GVMA. "To be economically productive, veterinarians must have trained technical help with the procedures."
Georgia lacked sufficient qualified technicians, so the GVMA approached Georgia's Technical College System about filling the gap. The first program was created at Gwinnett Tech, which offers clinical rotations with local private practices.
continued next page
Veterinary Technology

From top: Students observe an operation during the required surgical rotation. A sick horse
receives care from clinical instructor Dr. Kelly Lockerman,
left, and student Megan Klingler. Student Melanie
Parham examines a basset hound.

VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY continued
The job market is robust. "Right now, there are five or six job offers for

Firefighter training features realistic drills such as extinguishing a car fire, searching smoke-filled buildings and rescuing victims.

every veterinary technician who gradu-

ates," Montgomery says.

Dr. John Glisson, associate dean

for public service and outreach at

UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine,

also touts the program: "We want to

teach our veterinarians to work side by

side with technicians from the begin-

ning."

The teaching hospital has a bevy

of exotic animals, so students are

exposed to more than dogs and cats.

On a recent day, students were hustled

into a hospital room to view a

Loggerhead sea turtle.

Parham admits to being "terrified" on her first day in the large-animal ward,

FIRE Science

but now she's comfortable. "They make it all very easy here," she says.

Technology



Flames erupt from a battered gray

becomes a training source for local gov-

Ford. Within seconds, firefighter Lee

ernment. Previously, Douglas firefighters

Clements unfurls a fire hose and sidles

trained at a state facility in Forsyth, an

WHERE'S THE FIRE?

toward the blaze. Three more firefighters grip the hose and fall in lockstep behind

arrangement that rang up travel costs and time away from the job.

him.

Two individuals ignited this innova-

In addition to East Central

At first, the hose emits a huge half-circle tive program: Kelly and City of Douglas of water, an "umbrella effect" that creates a Fire Chief Tim White. Kelly explored the

Tech, the following schools offer Fire Science

heat shield for firefighters and cools the atmosphere. Then, Clements narrows the spray to a forceful blast, quelling the flames.

idea of a fire program for students, and when White became fire chief, he recognized the plan could be adapted for veter-

Technology programs:

Clements is a four-year veteran of the City of Douglas Fire Department, but he

an firefighters. Kelly hired White to teach. Firefighters take classes during their

APPALACHIAN TECH

attends East Central Tech's Fire Science Technology program, which debuted in

24-hour shifts, productively filling downtime while they wait for fire alarms.

DEKALB TECH

April. The program is unique because the school partnered with the city of Douglas to

Studies include fire theory, leadership and hazardous materials. The training facility

GWINNETT TECH

create a diploma program, which doubles as is crammed with props and buildings that

LANIER TECH

required refresher training for city firefighters. A two-year degree is

can be set ablaze in "controlled burn" scenarios.

MOULTRIE TECH

also available. "It's a winning situation for

The training benefits the entire community, says Dr. Diane

SAVANNAH TECH

everyone," says Dr. Bonnie Kelly, VP of economic develop-

Harper, president of East Central Tech. "National and international

WEST GEORGIA TECH

ment at East Central Tech. The firefighters attend school while

events have focused on the importance of highly skilled

they are working; the school

firefighters."

20 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION



At left and below, student Tim Goss checks the controls on an ammonia refrigeration system.

About 150 years ago, Germans invented a

popular liquid used in this process.

refrigeration technique that used ammonia. Its first

Lanier Tech's program offers three one-week

application: chilling beer.

courses, which train workers to operate an ammonia

Today, the use of ammonia refrigeration is mind-

refrigeration system and how to respond if the system

bogglingly widespread. Industries use it to chill

malfunctions. Lanier Tech and Georgia Tech have

everything from

had a long-term relationship for

produce, seafood and poultry to

Ammonia

cooperative on-site training classes. So when Georgia Tech received a $350,000

petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and, well, beer.
Lanier

Refrigerationgrant from Georgia Food Pac, it offered the funds to Lanier Tech to create the

Technical College

program. Also,

is home to Georgia's only ammonia refrigeration pro-

Lanier Tech is near

gram, one of only two in the country. The program was initiated by a partnership between Lanier Tech,

continued next page

The Georgia Institute of Technology and several

trade organizations.

So what is ammonia refrigeration? Basically, the

act of refrigeration changes a liquid into a gas,

causing it to absorb heat in the process. Then,

the gas is transferred away from the storage

facility -- along with the heat. Ammonia is a

RESULTS 21

Top: Student Robby Black, left, learns from Barry Turner, clinical director, how to transport a body. Bottom: Jarvis Barnes, program director, explains the different urns on display.

AMMONIA REFRIGERATION continued

a concentration of Georgia's poultry

companies, which wanted the training.

But the Georgia Tech grant didn't

cover all startup costs. DTAE chipped

in and Lanier Tech approached

private industry,

FUNERAL SERVICES which respond-
ed in droves. "The col-

lege took a risk in making its investment in this program," says Dr. Mike Moye,

Education

president of Lanier Tech. "We were not

alone, though, with the private sector matching our funds on a three-to-one basis."

"He's heavy -- like a real

In addition, the International

man," says Robby Black, as he struggles

Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration

under the weight of a 175-pound

and the Refrigerating Engineers and

dummy.

Technicians Association donated train-

Barry Turner, clinical director of

gram's debut in April 2001, a private

ing materials and books.

Ogeechee Tech's Funeral Services

academy in Atlanta offered the sole

Founded in March 2002, the pro-

Education program, shows Black and a

program in Georgia accredited by the

gram's popularity has soared. More

fellow student how to transport a body

American Board of Funeral Service

than 50 companies in 20 states have

from hospital bed to gurney. "Gather

Education.

sent employees to be trained at Lanier

the bottom sheet around the body and

"The program provides a financial

Tech. "We just got a major contract

use it as a hammock," Turner says.

advantage to students in south

with Wal-Mart," says Russell

"This allows for an easier sliding

Georgia," says Michael Burrell, dean of

Vandiver, VP of economic develop-

motion."

Ogeechee's Allied Health Department.

ment. "They're going to send people

Body mechanics is just one compo-

"They don't have to go to Atlanta and

from Wal-Mart distribution centers

nent of the Funeral Services Education

pay tuition at a private academy."

nationwide to be trained here."

program. The main classroom contains

That was a big plus for 2002 grad-

Wayne Farms LLC in

a mock reception area lined with casket

uate Mark Anderson, who owned

Pendergrass, Ga., applauds the pro-

and vault displays so students can prac-

Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home in

gram. "The real benefit is to get this

tice helping families with funeral

Statesboro when he enrolled. By

training early in the career," says Tim

arrangements. In the lab, students learn

attending Ogeechee's program, he says,

Murphy, the company's maintenance

restorative art techniques by applying

"I didn't have to be away from my fam-

and loss prevention and training man-

modeling clay and makeup to plastic

ily and business for 18 months." He

ager. "It teaches good safety habits."

skulls.

says the classroom discussions were

Ogeechee's program is one of a

"great sounding boards" to enhance his



kind in Georgia. It's the only accredited funeral service program in the public

business. "We shared ideas about how they do things at different funeral

educational system. Prior to the pro-

homes in different towns."

22 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

Students learn the embalming process on cadavers donat-

Following 9/11, concerns about cyberterrorism swelled.

ed from local coroner's offices and hospitals. They must com- If computer systems are targeted, the results could be epic.

plete 12 embalming cases. "Because of our donor program,

"Banks couldn't do business, you couldn't make a purchase in

we have the opportunity to go over and above the board

a store, you couldn't buy gasoline-- just think of the implica-

requirements," says Jarvis Barnes, program director.

tions," says Susan Larson, chair of Gwinnett Tech's

Most graduates pursue careers in funeral home settings,

Computer Information Technology Department.

but they can also work in autopsy labs or morgues or become

While serving in the Navy, Larson spent two years at the

professional embalmers. There's a national shortage of

Pentagon in an intelligence capacity. "I've always been very

trained professionals, so the job market is plentiful. In fact,

aware of having secure information, and it probably started at

Turner says he receives more requests for trained workers

the Pentagon," she says. "This is something I've wanted to

than the school can currently provide.

see Gwinnett Tech offer."

At Gwinnett Tech, students learn to secure networks,



websites and personal computers, as well as build firewalls. Specialized classes include Computer Forensics and Disaster

Picture this: A bank stores $1 million in the lobby.

Recovery, filled with techniques for retrieving hidden or lost information.
The high-tech world has suffered a slew of layoffs, but

There are no guards and no alarms protecting the money.

the information security arena is booming. According to the

Crazy, right? Well, as our computer dependence grows, our

U.S. Bureau of Labor, jobs in information security are pro-

cyberconnected society gives "more opportunities for the

jected to grow 36 percent or more by 2010. "The demand

criminal element to steal people's identity or broadcast credit

for information security skills is phenomenal, and this

card information," says Susan VanLanen, director

of the Information Security program, which

debuts this fall at Gwinnett Technical College. It's DTAE's only information security program and will be offered in a certificate,

Information

diploma or two-year degree.

SECURITY

program is a direct response to the needs of business and industry," says GwinnettTechnical College President Sharon Rigsby.
Also, the school is near a cluster of high-tech companies. "The industry in Gwinnett will benefit tremendously from the program," says Ellis C. Rainey, manager of the Enterprise Network Operations Center at the Georgia Technology Authority. "It brings back a pool of employees who are secu-
rity-minded." Gwinnett Tech's program offers a
"solid foundation," according to Jack Sibrizzi, chief technology officer for J. S. Dean & Company, based in Alpharetta. In today's world, he says, protecting information is simply "a cost of doing business." R

Susan VanLanen emphasizes the need for information security training in today's cyberconnected world.
RESULTS 23

Awree

Across the state, technical colleges respond
to the needs of Georgia's
y hospitality & tourism industry

Summer vacation. The images are

By Greg Land
Because if you manage a hotel, for

classics: The kids are packed in the back of

instance, it's almost like being a small

a wood-paneled station wagon; beach

city manager: Your rooms are like

chairs and bicycles are lashed to the

residences, your restaurants and

roof. The old man's embarrassing

gift shops are like retail spaces,

everybody with his Hawaiian shirt,

your security force is like a

white socks and sandals, and Mom's in

police department, your guests

a floppy sunhat clutching a Danielle

are your residents. So you have

Steele novel. By the end of the week,

to have an overall business acu-

the family's back home with sunburned

men and understanding of every-

shoulders, seashell souvenirs, and noth-

thing from finance to sales and

ing but sand left in the old man's empty

marketing."

wallet.

Today's tourist demands more than

When most people think of tourism, that's one of the predominant images. But these days, tourism encompasses a whole lot more. In fact, tourism and other hospitalityrelated businesses rank among Georgia's largest industries and one of the few areas of the economy that has been growing recently.

Janis Cannon, GDITT's deputy commissioner for tourism, says the hospitality industry holds myriad opportunities for Georgians. Heritage tourism makes Atlanta's Cyclorama (below) one of the state's many must-see sites for history buffs.

just a visit to the gator farm and a sack of boiled peanuts. Conventioneers want convenience and high-end amenities. "Heritage tourism" caters to history buffs who want detailed itineraries and nostalgic sites taking them back into the past. "Eco-tourism" offers trips and

According to the state Department of Labor, nearly

attractions where nature is the star, a low-impact trip into

4,000 jobs were added last year in the tourism and hospitality the wilderness where the visitor takes nothing but pho-

sector. And to Janis Cannon, deputy commissioner for

tographs and leaves nothing but footprints. And an emerg-

tourism at Georgia's Department of Industry, Trade and

ing trend is "agri-tourism," where an increasingly urban

Tourism, that means that this part of the economy is where

population finds entertainment and education combined

Georgians will find increasing opportunities.

in trips to working farms and dairies.

"That's the beauty of the hospitality industry," Cannon

says. "There are so many opportunities, such as manage-

ment, where it's really a business-type degree or skill set.

24 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

yet?
Agri-tourism is "another special interest tourism in Georgia," adds Cannon. "It's an opportunity we need to embrace in addition to nature and heritage tourism."
And when people travel, they need hotels to sleep in, restaurants to eat in, shops to meander through, and wellinformed travel agents and tour guides to show them the way. With more and more visitors wanting to "see America first," there's little wonder why this part of the economy is growing.
Responding to increased demand for skilled workers in this industry, the DTAE has developed new programs that are proving extremely popular at the technical colleges. While

GDITT works to promote tourism and attract visitors to the state, Georgia's technical colleges are training the people who will welcome them.

UPDATING THE CURRICULUM

A few years ago, Kathy Pearson was just

another dissatisfied worker. But she had always

wanted to be involved in the travel business.

"I started

with a couple

courses at

Gwinnett

Tech," Pearson

says, "and ended

up going from

the certificate to

the diploma pro-

gram." She attributes her success to
the breadth of training at Gwinnett Technical College in travel operations, marketing and

Kathy Pearson's travel operations training at Gwinnett Tech has been instrumental in her agency's success.

travel law, as well as in-depth experience with a major

airline computer ticketing program.

Since graduating two years ago, Pearson says, her suc-

cess has been wonderfully rapid. "I started with a home-

based agency, then an opportunity arose to do an intern-

ship here at this agency, which I now own!" she laughs,

referring to Vision Travel in Loganville. "In fact, I'm

about to move to another location that will be even bet-

ter for business."

The fact that the right program for Pearson was available

at the right time at Gwinnett Tech illustrates the technical

colleges' flexibility and responsiveness to changing times.

"Our Hotel, Restaurant and Travel (HRT) program

started in 1984," says Gwinett Tech President Sharon

Rigsby. "That was about the time that the hospitality indus-

try in Gwinnett County began to change due to the opening

of Gwinnett Place Mall," located five minutes from campus.

In 1982, Gwinnet County was home to just four motels.

Today there are more than 100. In 1987, Gwinnett Tech had

25 students enrolled in the program. Today it has about 150.

"After more industry located in Gwinnett County, more

restaurants came to life," she says. "In 1987, we added the

restaurant piece to the program; before that, it centered on

the hotel business. We added a number of courses to comple-

ment our new focus. An Employee Leadership Training pro-

gram was developed for all three parts of the program in

response to demand by industry. Local business leaders in the

hospitality industry told us this was essential to our program."

In addition, the program's advisory committee, consisting

of about 30 local and regional business leaders in the hospi-

tality industry, felt the school needed to add an engineering

aspect so that students would learn how to maintain facilities.

continued next page

RESULTS 25

"We know this industry holds a lot of opportunity for our students, and business and industry depend on us to deliver wellqualified workers."
Sharon Rigsby, president Gwinnett Technical College

"So we did," Rigsby says. "We know this industry holds a lot of opportunity for our students, and business and industry depend on us to deliver well-qualified workers."
Gwinnett Tech's practice of adapting their program to local needs is typical of the approach being taken by Georgia's technical colleges in developing their own HRT programs. Recent updates in the basic statewide HRT curriculum have responded to changes in the tourism and hospitality industry and have given the local colleges a foundation to build upon.
"When we feel it's time to update a program, we put together a committee of employers from around the state," says Larry Roberson, the DTAE's coordinator for HRT and Culinary Arts programs, explaining the process recently undertaken. "We present our current curriculum, and say, `Are there competencies that need to be removed, or are not here, or that have emerged or are on the horizon that need to be included? Once we've done that, we meet with hospitality facilities and determine which courses they would like to see added."
The process resulted in a basic curriculum that ensures that all the colleges adhere to a shared set of standards.
"The colleges can teach over and above those standards," Roberson says. "We'll look at geographical makeup of the state, and put together programs that can work for everybody. Local colleges can use electives to allow them to plug in courses that are designed to target the needs of their communities."
TAILORED TO LOCAL NEEDS
A number of technical colleges around the state have been taking advantage of this flexible approach. Atlanta Tech and Gwinnett Tech are packing classes aimed at meeting the needs of the metro area's booming hotel, entertainment and conven-

Cooking Is Hot
The Barefoot Contessa, The Naked Chef, Boy Meets Grill --
these titles of some of The Food Network's most popular shows are more than just exercises in provocative marketing. They're signs that these days cooking is sexy.
Chefs have moved out from the smoky kitchen and onto the steamy stage, and more and more of them have become stars. And motivated by the lure of lucre and prestige, an increasing number of students are interested in studying the esoteric arts of haute cuisine.
"Before The Food Network, the general public had a `burger flipper' image of the culinary arts," says Al Tholen at North Georgia Tech. "Thanks to TV's chef celebrities, the popularity of being a food service professional is at an all-time high."
Walk into the cooking lab at North Georgia Tech's Blairsville campus, and you will see a dozen or more students huddled around the chef instructor. There are high school students jumpstarting their careers, young adults with four-year degrees returning to fulfill their dreams, and workplace veterans who've

tion trade; Columbus Tech is launching its first HRT

"Our area has a good number of resorts, so we

program; Augusta Tech is beefing up its Culinary

focus on those," he says. "We also concentrate

Arts program; and Albany Tech is crafting its own

on smaller properties, because in our area there

new program in response to the development of

are probably 50 percent more 50- to 100-room

a sprawling new hotel and convention center.

hotels than 200- to 300-room hotels you

At the upper end of the state, North

see in larger metropolitan areas. We try to

Georgia Technical College is forging ahead in

focus on some of the challenges in those

its own direction, concentrating on the needs of

operations."

the resort and specialty hotel businesses that

Tholen notes that the geographical distinc-

abound in the wooded glens of north Georgia.

tion of northeast Georgia influenced the shaping

"The hospitality industry has always been a vital

of their Culinary Arts program, as well.

and growing segment of the economy in northeast Georgia," says Dr. Ruth Nichols, president of North Georgia Tech. "The Culinary Arts and Hotel and Motel

Ruth Nichols, president, North Georgia Technical
College

"When we first opened this campus four years ago," he recalls, "our students and advisers discovered that the state curriculum was a little too heavy

Management programs were designed to address the

in the commercial-type cookery found in hospitals

employee needs of this industry. Feasibility studies indicated

and schools. That approach is very important, but we had dif-

that employment opportunities in this field were strong

ferent needs in this area.

enough to support the job placement needs of the program."

"We decided to request DTAE approval to teach course-

Al Tholen, HRT Management and Professional Chef

work that better supported the small restaurants, resorts and

instructor at the college's Blairsville campus, notes that a

hotels here in northeast Georgia. We poured more emphasis

changing demographic and steady infusion of newcomers to

into baking, cold-food preparation, and the type of cookery

his hilly region has spurred attention on the area's needs.

found in kitchens in our area. We got approval, and I'm

"Our coursework focus is to teach skills that will get peo-

proud to tell you that, after about a year of running it here,

ple employed in hotels, restaurants, resorts, state parks, lodges,

it's been quite successful."

nature camps and other businesses that sell the beauty and

At Gwinnett Tech, the convention/hotel emphasis takes

relaxation of this area," he says.

precedence. "The great thing about tourism is that it's a clean

Like other colleges with HRT courses, his offers the

industry -- no smokestacks, nothing like that -- and it gets

basics in hotel, restaurant and food service management, and

people from outside Georgia to spend their money here. We

travel geography courses address the types of destinations vari-

like that," says Dr. Mark Newton, HRT director.

ous travelers might desire. But the program is customized

"One area very popular here is the convention and meet-

according to the needs of that geography.

ing planning class," he notes. "That's a huge industry, and

continued next page

found their calling. And they're all
comfortable knowing that the demand for good cooks is only increasing.
"Placement is easy," says Tholen. "A week doesn't go by when we don't take three or four calls from area businesses that either want one of our current students or a graduate. Our placement rate is 100 percent."
A similar picture can be found at Atlanta Tech, where Chef Joseph Perryman takes a solid, fundamental approach to teaching.
"We're teaching basic culinary arts skills," he says of Atlanta Tech's 35-year-old program. "And we work a lot on work ethics. That's something the industry here has really asked for. A majority of our students have opportunities to go to work in the area's hotels. That's a big source of employment for them."

At Gwinnett Tech, Chef Anna Anunziata teaches an American Culinary Federation-certified course that tries to "kick it up a notch."
"I started out with five students about six years ago," says Anunziata, noting that she now has a waiting list for the 100plus students accepted into the program twice each year.
Building on the basic curriculum, she says, "We make a point of covering regional American, regional European and contemporary cuisines." In addition to preparation, she notes, "one of our instructors teaches about different wines. He takes [students] to brewing houses and wineries, and they learn all about the different grapes, and what goes with what food."
Around the state, many of the technical colleges are noticing an increasing interest in the culinary arts. Chattahoochee Tech, Savannah Tech and Augusta Tech are all seeing a resurgence of people from all walks of life who appreciate a fine table.
"The Food Network seems to be promoting it," says Kathleen Fervan from Augusta Tech. "I was joking with my lawyer the other day, and she says, `Hey, do you have a night course for me?'" R
RESULTS 27

we're very involved in teaching the class, getting together with all the various meeting organizations. My students worked with the Meetings Industry Council of Georgia to develop our own website, which we manage, and is a tremendous resource." Newton says keeping students aware of the breadth of opportunity is essential. "Just about every quarter, we rent a tour bus and go around the Atlanta area so people can see not just Buckhead and Peachtree Street, but also Virginia-Highland, downtown, cultural areas [such as the King Historical District], and the different careers out there."
CONSISTENT, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
As tourism and hospitality increase in importance in other areas of the state, other technical colleges are implementing their own programs in response to local needs. Albany Technical College, for example, is starting a program because of new urban development. "What's happening here is that we have a hotel and convention center going up downtown," says HRT department head Martha Fullmore. "So with our program -- which is rather small right now -- we're beginning hotel and restaurant classes."
Fullmore anticipates growth in the future, but for now, she says, "We're just getting off the ground."
"Our biggest business now -- and the heart and soul of Atlanta's -- is the business traveler, the conventioneer. You want that visitor to come to your environment and have a consistent, professional level of service, all the way from the clerk at the gift shop to the people in leadership and management capacities."
Dr. C. B. Rathburn, president, Savannah Technical College

In Savannah, a unique partnership with the private sector is allowing Savannah Tech to develop a program to help support the tourism industry in one of Georgia's premier destination cities. Recently, the Tourist Leadership Council provided $70,000 to help start up the hospitality management program at Savannah Tech. In conjunction with the Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce, the council also helped with the recruitment process and curriculum development.
"One of the things we're experiencing, and that Atlanta is experiencing, is that the level of traditional summer tourists has flattened," says Dr. C.B. Rathburn, president of Savannah Technical College. "Our biggest business now -- and the heart and soul of Atlanta's -- is the business traveler, the conventioneer. You want that visitor to come to your environment and have a consistent, professional level of service, all the way from the clerk at the gift shop to the people in leadership and management capacities."
Savannah Tech has done just that by creating a series of specialized technical certificates of credit. This approach will allow individuals to focus in one of three areas: convention sales and marketing, which is currently a hot field; hotel and restaurant management; or culinary arts.
Says Rathburn, "This is how our system trains our graduates to bring the best level of skill and customer service demanded by the tourism and hospitality industry in popular destinations."
Columbus Technical College is also starting a new program. "When I came here in October," says Nancy Coleman, VP of economic development, "there had been nothing to prepare people for the increase in the number of restaurants and hotels in the area."
So Coleman formed a partnership with Goodwill Industries to prepare local students to enter the field. "They're doing a lot of the front-end recruitment of students, and we're assessing their skills and offering the actual instruction. It's an eight-week certificate program. We should have graduates by the end of July," she says.
"The momentum is rolling." R
Special thanks to GDITT for images used in postcard composites and the Sapelo Island image, p.28.

28 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

Workforce Training
The story of Quick Start, an ace in Georgia's economic development
hand

Quick Start provided training for 200 employees at the new Saint-Gobain plant in Sparta.

Here's the scenario: The South is emerging from

By developing a strategy for delivering job training to

decades of living with a depressed economy. However, new employees of qualified companies at no cost, Georgia

in the post-World War II boom, the region was recog- pioneered a workforce development program that today is an

nized as being ready for prosperity. It had the people.

internationally recognized model for its effectiveness and

It had the resources. The challenge: build industry and adaptability: Quick Start.

create jobs.

What distinguishes Georgia's approach from that of

Here's one of the ways Georgia tackled that mission. many other states is that while other states might provide

In 1967, as companies from around the world

cash incentives for workforce training, Quick Start pro-

were looking to locate new businesses in the Sunbelt

vides the training itself. This way, companies' own train-

states, Georgia came up with a plan that would serve as a key economic incentive for attracting investment.

"Overall, the main purpose of Quick Start is to help companies
create jobs for Georgians. "
JACKIE ROHOSKY, DTAE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER

ing resources are expanded through direct partnership with Quick Start's industry and training professionals to achieve comprehensive
continued next page

RESULTS 29

and innovative perfor-

mance-based training

solutions.

"Overall, the main

purpose of Quick Start

is to help companies

create jobs for

Georgians," says DTAE

Assistant Commissioner

Jackie Rohosky, who has led

The Quick Start mobile training lab.

Quick Start since 1990. "The training we provide is important

for both the employee and the

employer, because skilled workers and cost

savings help guarantee business success." This ability to deliver

efficient and effective workforce training is important because

the quality of a state's workforce is often the deciding factor in

where a company chooses to invest. And, according to numer-

ous business leaders who have worked with Quick Start in the

past, Georgia knows how to do it right.

"Being new in the country, we needed a lot of input and

training, in terms of safety, security and other areas," says Kurt

Berkmann, senior VP of ALPLA, a world-renowned plastic

bottle manufacturer, after they opened a plant in McDonough,

Ga. "Quick Start did a marvelous job of joining the technical

side with other aspects in a flexible program."

And while Quick Start is well known in economic develop-

ment circles, it hasn't always been that way among the people

on the street. But that's changing as more and more workers

are trained by Quick Start and see the link between their liveli-

hoods and technical training provided by this team of profes-

sionals.

THE COLLEGES
In 1988, the innovations continued when Quick Start became a part of the new Department of Technical and Adult Education, and for the first time, a state agency was dedicated to the full scope of workforce development services: Quick Start,

technical education and adult literacy. Since that time, this structure

has proved to be the main reason Georgia is recognized as one of the

best states in the nation for workforce development.

Quick Start's relationship with Georgia's Technical College

System is a major asset for delivering workforce training. On

almost all projects, Quick Start partners with the technical colleges

to establish permanent relationships with companies in their areas.

Thus, facilities and resources are close to any business requiring

training services, particularly in the three business sectors with

which Quick Start works most often: manufacturing,

warehouse/distribution and service opera-

tions. "We have worked to build a system that
ensures a highly skilled workforce for Georgia's businesses," says Dr. Ken Breeden, DTAE commissioner. "Quick Start helps a

"Quick Start helps a company get up and running,

company get up and running, and then the technical college maintains a relationship to offer ongoing training support and provide qualified employees."
Each of the 34 technical colleges serves

and then the technical college offers
ongoing

a defined region made up of several counties, and each college has a VP of economic

training."

development who acts as the point of contact for other college resources, including

DR. KEN BREEDEN, DTAE COMMISSIONER

graduate placement and training space.

Pete McDonald, VP of economic

development at Coosa Valley Technical

College, believes this approach is one of the

benefits of Quick Start. He cites as an

example Coosa Valley's partnership with

Jefferson Southern Corp. (JSC), which pro-

duces components for Honda minivans at a

new facility in Rockmart.

"After Quick Start does the initial train-

ing, the technical college remains a partner to

the company," he says. "JSC will still need well-trained people, and

we'll be here to help them with that."

continued on page 32

NACOM's John Olson, Quick Start's Jackie Rohosky and Griffin Tech's Bobby Arnold
applaud the graduates.

Prime Example

The NACOM project

Top: Carolyn Dawson applies her skills to circuit board assembly at NACOM's state-of-the-art plant.
Bottom: Azeeza Muhammad receives a computer after graduating from the CMS program.

On March 29, 117 NACOM employees graduated from the Certified Manufacturing Specialist (CMS) program.The largest-ever CMS class, they exemplified NACOM's continuing commitment to training.
A subsidiary of the Yazaki Corp. of Japan, NACOM opened eight years ago in Griffin to meet the American auto industry's demand for junction blocks and body electronics.The 450,000-sq.-ft., vertically integrated facility houses plastic injection molding, electronic printed circuit board assemblies, junction box assemblies and metal stamping. Much of the plant runs around the clock; the Injection Molding section alone produces some 4 million parts per month. Company leaders believe that education is key to keeping the facility running efficiently."It brings many more benefits than just trained employees," said John Olson,VP and general manager, at the CMS graduation ceremony."It increases morale, pride and loyalty, plus the added benefit to the community."
Quick Start has worked extensively with the company, providing workforce training during the facility's startup and its two expansion projects. A three-tiered training system based on Quick Start programs and the company's partnership with Griffin Technical College is now in place.
"The partnership between Quick Start, Griffin Technical College and NACOM has been an orchestrated relationship of continuous events serving our

most important resource, the associate," says Brian Burk, manager of training for NACOM.
In 2002, NACOM employees completed more than 7,500 hours of on-site training and more than 4,500 hours of off-site training. Thirty-two associates completed the Supervisory Management Specialist course, and 10 completed the Industrial Maintenance Technician program.This year, the company expects to graduate 20 employees from the Industrial Programmable Control Systems program, as well as more associates from CMS, Manufacturing Team Supervisor and Certified Customer Service Specialist programs.
Providing incentives for learning, NACOM supports educational efforts even after companysponsored classes are completed. At the CMS graduation in March, each graduate was awarded a personal computer by the company.
For employees who further their education outside the company, even in areas not directly job related, NACOM provides tuition reimbursement, flex time and the opportunity to continue to the associate or bachelor's degree level.
"This partnership is a classic example," says Wayne Brown,VP of economic development at Griffin Tech. "NACOM saw the initial training as fundamental to its operation. Now they continue to work with us on job training, and they encourage employees to attend our other classes as well. Says Burk,"The [partnership] has given associates access to new skills and higher education. It's a win-win for everyone." R

RESULTS 31

HOW
They Do It
Project Study A team of industry and training pro-
fessionals reviews the company's business operations, equipment and technologies, and the duties for each new job classification. This ensures Quick Start's understanding of the knowledge and skills required for the job, the best training methodologies, and the optimum training schedule to meet the company's hiring schedule.
Training Plan The results of the project study are
documented in a training plan that specifies training topics, training methodologies and materials, and a timeline. The training plan, which identifies both pre- and post-employment training programs, can adapt to changes in the company's training needs or timeline.
Training Development Under the leader-
ship of a Quick Start training coordinator, instructional designers, selected for their industry experience, develop the training. The company reviews and approves all materials developed, which may include training guides, performance support tools, videos and multimedia training applications.
Instruction Highly skilled trainers deliver interactive,
performance-based training for new employees as a part of both pre- and post-employment training programs. Prior to project completion, Quick Start also trains company instructors to provide both classroom and on-the-job instruction.
Evaluation Quick Start and company representatives
evaluate all aspects of training to ensure accuracy and effectiveness. Trainees also individually evaluate each training session completed. When the project concludes, a Quick Start program improvement specialist conducts a face-to-face interview with the company to evaluate overall project effectiveness.

Not only does the innovative model for this program contribute to Quick Start's reputation, but also Quick Start's staff continually garners praise. "What impressed me was the professional documentation of the process," says Guy Ball, plant manager of a Keebler manufacturing facility in Macon that received Quick Start training on a new production line.
THE TRAINING PROS
In the course of working with more than 4,000 companies, Quick Start's staff of training coordinators, instructional designers and instructors have honed their expertise by employing the latest in instructional technologies. These training professionals identify, develop and deliver performance-based training, realistic job simulations and performance-assessment strategies to equip workers with the right knowledge base, skills and interpersonal effectiveness to achieve high productivity and quality levels required in today's business world.
The Quick Start team also includes media technology specialists, who produce high-end videos to orient new employees to the company and its production processes. The media group's recent work has won more than 10 awards for outstanding achievement, including a Silver Telly Award, the highest honor in international video competition, for a video produced for Riverside Manufacturing.
"Quick Start's professional staff accommodated our needs and produced a polished video that will stand the test of time," says Will Vereen, corporate VP of the Moultrie-based uniform manufacturer.
Multimedia is a large component in all Quick Start training, from interactive presentations to e-learning applications. At Rockwell Automation, for example, Quick Start studied the manufacturing processes at its Dublin plant, and developed a Web-based system where computer terminals located right on the production lines made instruction and information available to employees at the tips of their fingers.
"The Quick Start team developed acumen quickly on how we do what we do," says Robert Murphy, the company's director of operations. "They were extremely flexible, and I really appreciated their sense of urgency."
Thus, in true partnership style, the colleges, the companies and the Quick Start pros join forces to provide the most comprehensive, advanced training in the nation, working to keep Georgia's economy rolling.
Last year alone, Quick Start clients created 7,718 new jobs, and 41,801 employees received Quick Start training.
Mission accomplished. R

32 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

Perspective

PRESIDENT'S
On the Threshold
HOW TECHNICAL EDUCATION OPENS THE PASSAGE TO OPPORTUNITY
By Dr. Freida Hill, President Southwest Georgia Technical College

If education is the key to solving many societal
woes, then technical education in particular is the very portal to the hopes of tomorrow. Experts agree that up to 85 percent of the jobs of the future will require postsecondary education -- but not necessarily, and most probably not, a fouryear degree.
That puts technical education at the vanguard of an exciting new movement shaping our society. Today, employers want workers with targeted training; workers are seeking fulfilling jobs; and folks are rediscovering enrichment through community involvement. Technical colleges are opening doors to help realize these goals.
As the institutions that train local workers for new and existing companies, technical colleges are becoming critical for economic development. These businesses need a qualified workforce to operate cost-effectively, and our programs graduate the skilled employees businesses need to thrive. It's a synergistic model where business and industry support our college, and our college supports local business and industry.
At Southwest Georgia Technical College, nowhere is this dynamic more evident than in our relationship with Archbold Medical Center.
Long before I came to Thomasville nearly three years ago to lead this fine college, a great and enduring partnership existed with the Archbold healthcare family. Recently, Archbold President Ken Beverly demonstrated the hospital's philosophy about customer service and employee training

when employees were offered a $500 bonus if they completed our Certified Customer Service Specialist program.
And over the years, a mutually beneficial arrangement has evolved, with Archbold helping us start new programs and then hiring our graduates. We, in turn, supply them with well-trained workers in an era of severe labor shortages in the healthcare industry.
For example, Archbold helped us establish our Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program, which prepares students to sit for the registered nurse (RN) licen-
sure exam. After 40 years of providing licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in our service area, we recently admitted a huge first class of 56 ADN students in response to the need for RNs. (We're only the fourth Georgia technical college to offer the ADN program. Athens Tech was first, followed by Columbus Tech and Northwestern Tech.) Launching an ADN program is no easy task. The associated costs in salary alone are enormous. In the two years it takes to establish the curriculum -- a period required by the Georgia Board of Nursing --
continued next page

AN ONGOING SERIES OF EDITORIALS BY THE PRESIDENTS OF GEORGIA'S TECHNICAL COLLEGES

RESULTS 33

a program director must be on board from the outset, followed thereafter by four full-time faculty members. This takes place even before the first student is admitted. But thankfully, Archbold funded our program director position until we could obtain state funding.
Our role in supplying not only nurses but also allied health professionals is tied to Archbold's large network of healthcare facilities in the area. For a town its size,

Thomasville boasts an impressive healthcare system. Archbold's success over the years attracted more and more specialists, which then fueled the need for increasing numbers of allied health workers.
Thus, Southwest Georgia Technical College has become the area's primary institution for training surgical technologists, respiratory therapists, medical laboratory technologists and some 10 other allied health professionals. And like nursing, nearly all of these professions are experiencing shortages.
Our ability to mitigate these shortages is not limited by local business support, since Archbold and other healthcare firms are enthusiastically stepping up to the plate to partner with us. Nor is it limited by a small pool of candidates or a lack of interest in healthcare careers. Indeed, we received more than 400 applications for the 56 ADN slots.
The truth is, our ability to help is limited only by space. Our five modulars on campus will still be needed even after our new classroom/administrative building is completed early next year. Current efforts to accommodate our new ADN students will become even more challenging in January when we admit approximately 30 LPN students enrolled in the "bridge program" to the ADN -- and again next summer when we accept the second class of ADN students.
Nevertheless, we are going ahead as planned because the needs of our community demand it. We look upon this as an opportunity to test our proficiency in the logistics of scheduling classrooms and lab space. Actually, it's a nice problem to have.
Southwest Georgia Technical College fulfills its social responsibility as doggedly as it does its academic responsibility. Our faculty, staff and students display an amazing commitment to their community. Why? Like Georgia's other

technical colleges, most of our students come from our ser-

vice area. Their desire to stay here, work here and belong here

imbues them with a heavy investment in their community.

Plus, they observe the examples set by our faculty and

staff. Following their lead, our students have collected toys

and held food drives for the underprivileged, raised money

for the March of Dimes and collected items for battered

women. Respiratory therapy students serve as counselors at a

five-day camp for asthmatic children. Last Christmas, our

industrial electrical instructor and 12 students volunteered

their own time and tools to wire a home for a woman living

without electricity.

And when the town of Thomasville adopted the USS

Theodore Roosevelt, our Student Council joined the effort,

dubbed Operation Yellow Ribbon. Students collected and

boxed up 150

cartons full of

items -- books,

CDs, movies,

personal hygiene

items, postcards

and stamps -- to

send to the

troops on board

this ship. It was

great fun for us and rewarding too. Just think how those

Sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt open boxes of items sent by the town of Thomasville. "It was a big morale boost," reported one of the crew members.

troops felt to know that some little town in South Georgia

cared about them.

My goals for Southwest Georgia Technical College mir-

ror those of my colleagues in technical colleges around the

state. I want our students to train on the latest and best

equipment so they're prepared when they enter the work-

place. I want our faculty, staff and students to have nice facili-

ties. I want our students, when they leave, to tell others that

this is the best college they could attend anywhere.

And I want them to come back! Maybe someday serve as

a trustee or a board member, or help us in a capital campaign

drive -- just continue to be involved. If their current acts of

citizenship are any indication, I know they will come back.

In this way, technical education will have served as their

entry to a promising future. R

34 DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM
Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education

DADE

CATOOSA

MURRAY FANNIN

WHITFIELD

WALKER

Dalton State

Northwestern College

Tech

GILMER
Appalachian Tech

UNION

TOWNS

North Georgia Tech

RABUN

HABERSHAM WHITE

CHATTOOGA
FLOYD
Coosa Valley Tech

GORDON

PICKENS

BARTOW

North Metro Tech

CHEROKEE

LUMPKIN

DAWSON FORSYTH

HALL
Lanier Tech

STEPHENS

BANKS

FRANKLIN

MADISON

JACKSON

HART ELBERT

Denotes Technical College Service Delivery Area
Technical College Facility
University System College With Technical Division

POLK HARALSON

Chattahoochee Tech

PAULDING

COBB

Gwinnett Tech
GWINNETT
DEKALB

BARROW

CLARKE

Athens Tech

OCONEE

OGLETHORPE

WILKES

WALTON

LINCOLN

DOUGLAS Atlanta

Tech

DeKalb

West Central Tech
FULTON

CLAYTON

Tech
ROCKDALE

CARROLL

Clayton

NEWTON

College

GREENE MORGAN

TALIAFERRO

COLUMBIA

COWETA

FAYETTE

& State University
HENRY

SPALDING

JASPER

PUTNAM

WARREN

MCDUFFIE

RICHMOND
Augusta

HEARD
TROUP West Georgia Tech

BUTTS
Griffin Tech

PIKE

LAMAR

MONROE

JONES

HANCOCK

GLASCOCK

BALDWIN

Sandersville Tech
JEFFERSON WASHINGTON

Tech
BURKE

MERIWETHER

UPSON

Central

BIBB

Georgia Tech

JENKINS

HARRIS

Flint T A L B O TR i v e r
Tech

CRAWFORD

WILKINSON

JOHNSON

SCREVEN

MUSCOGEE
Columbus Tech
CHATTAHOOCHEE STEWART

TAYLOR

PEACH

MARION

MACON

SCHLEY

South Georgia
Tech

WEBSTER

SUMTER

DOOLY

TWIGGS

HOUSTON

BLECKLEY

LAURENS

EMANUEL
Swainsboro Tech

Ogeechee Tech
EFFINGHAM

Middle Georgia
Tech
PULASKI
WILCOX

DODGE

TREUTLEN

CANDLER

H e a r t o f G e o r g i a MONTGOMERY

Tech

Southeastern

Georgia

Tech

Aviation

WHEELER

TOOMBS

EVANS

TELFAIR

TATTNALL

BULLOCH

BRYAN

CHATHAM

Savannah Tech

QUITMAN

TERRELL

LEE

RANDOLPH

CLAY

Albany Tech

CALHOUN

DOUGHERTY

CRISP WORTH

TURNER

Moultrie Tech TIFT

BEN HILL

JEFF DAVIS

APPLING

East Central Tech

IRWIN

COFFEE

Altamaha Tech
WAYNE BACON

LONG

LIBERTY MCINTOSH

EARLY

BAKER

MILLER
Bainbridge College
SEMINOLE

MITCHELL
Southwest Georgia Tech

COLQUITT

BERRIEN

ATKINSON

COOK

LANIER

Valdosta Tech

BROOKS

LOWNDES

CLINCH

PIERCE

GLYNN

WARE

BRANTLEY

Okefenokee Tech

Coastal Georgia Community College

CHARLTON

CAMDEN

DECATUR

GRADY

THOMAS

ECHOLS

The Department of Technical and Adult Education and its constitutent Technical Colleges do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, veteran status or citizenship status (except in those special circumstances permitted or mandated by law).

RESULTS 35

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION

TECHNICAL COLLEGES
Albany Technical College Albany, Georgia Altamaha Technical College Jesup, Georgia Appalachian Technical College Jasper, Georgia Athens Technical College Athens, Georgia Atlanta Technical College Atlanta, Georgia Augusta Technical College Augusta, Georgia Central Georgia Technical College Macon, Georgia Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, Georgia Columbus Technical College Columbus, Georgia Coosa Valley Technical College Rome, Georgia DeKalb Technical College Clarkston, Georgia East Central Technical College Fitzgerald, Georgia Flint River Technical College Thomaston, Georgia Georgia Aviation and Technical College Eastman, Georgia Griffin Technical College Griffin, Georgia Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville, Georgia Heart of Georgia Technical College Dublin, Georgia Lanier Technical College Oakwood, Georgia Middle Georgia Technical College Warner Robins, Georgia Moultrie Technical College Moultrie, Georgia

North Georgia Technical College Clarkesville, Georgia North Metro Technical College Acworth, Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rock Spring, Georgia Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro, Georgia Okefenokee Technical College Waycross, Georgia Sandersville Technical College Sandersville, Georgia Savannah Technical College Savannah, Georgia South Georgia Technical College Americus, Georgia Southeastern Technical College Vidalia, Georgia Southwest Georgia Technical College Thomasville, Georgia Swainsboro Technical College Swainsboro, Georgia Valdosta Technical College Valdosta, Georgia West Central Technical College Carrollton, Georgia West Georgia Technical College LaGrange, Georgia
TECHNICAL DIVISIONS
Bainbridge College Bainbridge, Georgia Clayton College and State University Morrow, Georgia Coastal Georgia Community College Brunswick, Georgia Dalton State College Dalton, Georgia
Web-based courses of Georgia's technical colleges are accessed through the Georgia Virtual Technical College (GVTC), http://www.gvtc.org.