Albany Technical College officially signs a Pathway Program understanding with Georgia Southwestern State University on Wednesday, January 23, 2018 at 9 a.m. in Albany Technical College’s Logistics Education Center, Executive Board Room (second floor). This agreement provides an avenue for AAS degree graduates of Albany Technical College to make a seamless transition to one of southwest Georgia’s premier four-year universities. AAS graduates that choose to take advantage of this agreement will have the opportunity to remain in their communities while completing the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Long Term Care Management degree in an online or classroom setting.

Through the Pathway Program agreement, all students interested in a Career Pathway in healthcare can continue via the internet and/or classroom settings. Graduates of Albany Technical College who have completed the appropriate degree (Associate of Science in Nursing; Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting; Associate of Applied Science in Business Healthcare Technology) courses that are required in the LTCM curriculum can take advantage of this opportunity.

“This Pathway agreement opens up opportunities for our students to continue their education. We are
committed to the local community and want to create a robust, skilled workforce. Allowing students to
resume their education with online and classroom choices after they have successfully completed an
associate degree at Albany Technical College is an important advancement to achieve this goal,” said
Dr. Anthony O. Parker, President of Albany Technical College.

“We are excited to partner with Albany Technical College in educating the caregivers of our future,
the ones our aging and disabled communities desperately need,” said GSW President Neal Weaver.
“We hope that in simplifying the transition from institution to institution, more students are encouraged
to pursue long-term care as a career.”

“Our nation has a growing number of older adults and individuals with disabilities,” said GSW Associate Dean and Professor Leisa Easom, Ph.D. “The LTCM degree addresses the multidisciplinary elements in education and training required in the preparation of our healthcare workforce today to meet the needs of these populations.”

The Pathways Program centers on the priorities of Complete College Georgia (CCG), an initiative developed to increase the number of Georgians earning a college degree. In 2012, institutions in both the University System of Georgia (USG) and the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) submitted plans to achieve the ambitious goal of adding more than 250,000 postsecondary graduates to Georgia’s workforce by 2020.

Studies show that students are noticeably turning to online and hybrid learning models as they work toward their degrees. Albany Technical College is aware of this trend and continues to provide options for working adults in the region. Growth in online enrollment has seen a steady increase since 2015. More than one in four students now take at least one distance education course.