Albany Technical College plans to increase enrollment opportunities for students pursuing certifications in two programs. Beginning Spring Semester 2018 in January, the number of students accepted to the Commercial Truck Driving and Industrial Operations Technician programs will increase by one third.

By adding an additional section each semester, the number of seats in Industrial Operations will increase from 240 to 260 annually and seats in Commercial Truck Driving will increase from 150 to 225. Both programs are part of Georgia Governor Nathan Deal’s HOPE Career Grant, which provides additional financial aid for students enrolled in these programs.

In partnership with the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission’s Industry Roundtable, Albany Tech launched the Industrial Operations Technician program in 2015 in an effort to better prepare potential employees in the area for positions with local industries such as P&G, MillerCoors, the Marine Corps Logistics Base, SASCO Chemicals, and several other industries on the roundtable. So far, 28 students have received certification in the program and are employed with 17 different companies within the region. Nine students are currently registered for Fall Semester.

The Commercial Truck Driving program at Albany Tech has been a part of technical education for decades. With a shortage of commercial truck drivers, the need for more graduates of the program is ever increasing. Graduates of Albany Tech’s program goes to work for trucking companies such as Southern Ag, Averitt Express, Benny Whitehead, and many others.