GREENE COUNTY
Athens Technical College, one of 22 vocational facilities in the state, will be vacating its location at 1051 Athens Tech Drive in Greensboro and has partnered with the Board of Education at its College and Career Academy.
A 12-month agreement was signed with the BOE last month, giving ATC an independent office on-site.
Athens Tech is part of the Technical College System of Georgia and has four campuses located in Walton, Elbert, Greene and Oconee counties, in addition to its primary Athens campus.
Last month’s Economic Development meeting featured Dr. Andrea Daniels of Athens Tech lobbying for lease renewal of the facility, which currently serves 136 students, both young and older adults. The Economic Development Foundation of Greene County has sole ownership of the facility and had yet to renew the college’s lease. The college offers certification in everything from cosmetology, heating and air, plumbing, welding and more.
“We were disappointed that in post-COVID, the Labor Department adjacent to us did not open up,” Daniels said. “We were just short of our enrollment goal. Typically, we get a lot of interest from those seeking further employment who just walk in to inquire about our programs and classes. We feel we lost those enrollment opportunities for the area.”
According to Daniels, Athens Tech currently has 32 adults training for the General Education Development degree, which covers math, social studies, science and language arts. She said that Athens Tech would continue to recruit students from the Board of Education’s College and Career Academy to bolster enrollment. Its lease terminates in June, and the Economic Development Foundation has yet to make a decision to renew, forcing Athens Tech to look elsewhere in the county.
However, Greene County invested heavily in the facility with a comprehensive modernization of a learning lab for medical technicians which largely sat underutilized, according to Chris Edwards, special assistant to County Manager Byron Lombard.
“We hoped to see more student enrollment down the pipeline, but were disappointed to see that it never materialized,” Edwards said. “We invested heavily in the building and general maintenance beyond learning labs to the tune of $180,000-plus. There is not enough demand in the area for special enrollment programs.”
Daniels is excited to soon be based out of the College and Career Academy and felt the college could not be accountable to its students and growth waiting for a last-minute decision.
“I would like to commend School Superintendent Dr. Chris Houston, who readily saw a renewed role for us at the CCA. Remaining here in the county gives us the opportunity to continue working with our corporate partners, including Nibco and Novelis. There is considerable strength in our partnerships throughout the county for enrollees, and it will help bolster our student dual enrollment at the high school level.”
Atlas Ministry, a Christian-based social services organization in Greensboro since 2005, has been eyeing the facility for some time. Ryan Gibadlo, executive director of Atlas, was present to outline their interest in obtaining the facility for future expansion. Currently, its primary location on Highway 44 has outgrown its capacity.