West Georgia Technical College and Technical College System of Georgia representatives visited Grenzebach Corporation in Hamlar, Germany and inked a cooperation agreement with the Donauwörth technical school during a week-long visit to tour industrial and educational resources in Germany.

TCSG Commissioner Gretchen Corbin has visited Grenzebach in Hamlar several times, most recently in July together with Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. On November 16, WGTC President Steve Daniel joined Dr. Ian Bond, Executive Director of the TCSG International Center, and other representatives of the TCSG on a visit to Grenzebach in Hamlar, to gain further information about apprenticeship training, as well as the interaction of Grenzebach with its educational partners.

Georgia is the first U.S. state to introduce a German-style apprenticeship program, in which students take college coursework while also working in an industrial facility. With its U.S. location in Newnan, Grenzebach played a major role in the introduction of the program and is using it to train apprentices in industrial maintenance there.

Martin Pleyer, Chief Operation Officer at Grenzebach in Newnan, accompanied Daniel on the trip. Pleyer has played a lead role in organizing the partnership between WGTC, Central Educational Center and the Newnan-area industries which are hosting apprentices. In the German training center, Daniel, Bond and others had the opportunity to discuss the details of the model with the trainers of Grenzebach and with Winfried Schiffelholz, head of the technical school in Donauwörth. Bond was impressed by the diverse possibilities offered to young people through practical training.

Daniel and Schiffelholz, utilized this visit to seal their partnership by signing a formal cooperation agreement.

“We expect this partnership to provide a highly qualified partner at our side to help us meet the daily challenges of a completely new program,” Daniel said. Instructor and student exchanges, as well as cooperation between businesses in Germany and the U.S.A. are planned.

“The exchange with West Georgia Technical College is a great enrichment to our school,” Schiffelholz said. “We are proud of our close cooperation with Grenzebach, which has made this possible for us.” 

After visiting Hamlar, the group toured the Donauwörth technical school. Grenzebach apprentices accompanied the visitors there and explained their classrooms and the opportunities at the school. The visitors were impressed by the equipment of the workshops in the metal, wood and food sectors, and how trainees are taught both theoretical and practical elements.

Visitors saw the close connection between school and industry and that the trainees are at home in both locations.