West Georgia Technical College has received a $50,000 donation from Kia Georgia to expand upon the College’s existing Precision Manufacturing and Maintenance lab located at its Coweta campus.

“We are extremely grateful for our partnership with Kia and their continued investment in our students,” said WGTC Foundation Executive Director Brittney Henderson. “Kia’s generous donation to our Precision Manufacturing and Maintenance program will allow us to train more students and ensure we are meeting the workforce demands to support economic development in our service area and beyond.”

Expanding the Precision Manufacturing and Maintenance lab at the Coweta campus will include two additional rooms across the hall from its current location. Two general classrooms will be adjoined by opening the rooms and creating an extra lab for the program. In addition, the expansion will provide new safety upgrades and enhancements to the new lab space.

“The importance of technical education in today’s workforce is even greater to the workforce of tomorrow,” said Stuart Countess, President and CEO of Kia Georgia. “The depth and quality for educational resources offered by the Technical College System of Georgia is a model for the country, and West Georgia Technical College is an outstanding example of how the educational system can be effective and productive partners with industry in workforce development. We at Kia Georgia take great pride in our partnership with WGTC and the career pathways it opens to thousands of students every year.”

“I am incredibly thankful for the long-standing relationship the College has with Kia and how our partnership is key to chipping away at the workforce challenges all companies are facing today,” said Dr. Julie Post, President of WGTC.

Precision Manufacturing and Maintenance is an associate’s degree program designed to develop versatile skills required for various manufacturing positions, emphasizing, diagnosing, and maintaining complex integrated systems. Courses prepare to help students install, program, operate, maintain, service, and diagnose electromechanical equipment and produce precision parts used in manufacturing applications.

The program is offered on the Carroll, Coweta, and LaGrange campuses. For more information on this program or other programs, visit westgatech.edu.