KIA Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. has donated a KIA Optima to the Albany Tech Foundation. The late-model vehicle will be used as a hands-on laboratory to train students on computer diagnostics in the Automotive Technology Program. This donation will place current automotive repair technology in students' hands and prepare them to work in the local automotive industry. 

Dr. Anthony Parker, President of Albany Technical College, said, "This new lab will give our students practical experience, strengthening the quality and depth of instruction. We thank KIA for supporting Albany Tech's mission and the future of graduates in our region and the state." 

The Technical College System of Georgia and Albany Technical College have enjoyed a long partnership with KIA Motors Manufacturing Georgia. KIA vehicle lab donations were previously made to Albany Tech in 2010 and 2017. The latest gift ensures that students will continue receiving up-to-date instruction in the auto repair field.  

"We are excited about the opportunity that KIA is giving us to teach our students with the proper tools. Preparing our graduates with the knowledge they need for today's automotive environment is critical to their success in our community," James Miller, Automotive Technology division chair and instructor, commented.

The Albany Transportation Academy at Albany Technical College has a total of 154 students enrolled for academic year 2020. Thirty-nine are in Automotive Technology, 35 in Diesel Technology, 56 in Commercial Truck Driving, and 24 in Auto Collision Repair. The Albany Tech’s Transportation Academy graduates competent and qualified employees for the transportation industry through innovative and hands-on instructional approaches.  This, in turn, promotes a robust, trained workforce and economic growth throughout the region.

The Automotive Technology program offers a broad line of courses ranging from basic repairs to the more advanced diagnostic repairs associated with today's ever-changing, computer-controlled automobiles. Students learn skills from replacing brake pads and bleeding brake systems, to troubleshooting engine performance problems with lab scopes and meters.

The responsibilities of automotive service technicians and mechanics have evolved from simple mechanical repairs to high-level, technology-related work. Today, integrated electronic systems and sophisticated computers regulate vehicles and their performance while on the road. This increasing sophistication requires workers who can use computerized shop equipment and work with electronic components while maintaining their traditional tool skills.