The subsequent economic recovery will be sluggish and short lived without growth in industrial, residential, and commercial construction. Infrastructure expansion, including telecommunications, requires new construction. The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and Albany Technical College are prepared to support infrastructure growth.

The administration, faculty, and students at Albany Technical College are grateful to Mr. O. D. Carlton's family for their generosity. Their donation of a facility valued at $2 million, with a further gift of existing equipment, allowed Albany Tech to design and construct the ultimate workforce development facility. That facility's sole purpose is to support the expansion of the construction industry in SW Georgia. The donation of an 80,000 square foot facility allowed Albany Technical College and the Albany Tech Foundation to leverage an additional $5.8 million investment from TCSG, supported by Albany Area Delegation to the Georgia General Assembly.

Albany Technical College Board of Directors and Administration are privileged to have been charged since 1961 with the responsibility of preparing the workforce for the construction industry. Before the opening of Phase I of the Carlton Construction Academy, our college offered Residential Construction, Industrial Electrical, Air Conditioning, Horticulture, Welding, and Architectural Drafting. In addition, Carlton Phase I allowed us to offer Building Maintenance, Carpentry, Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Masonry, and Plumbing. The Carlton Phase II ribbon cutting will allow Albany Tech to offer Engineering Graphics, Green Building Technology, Residential Energy Efficiency, and Sustainable Renewable Alternative Energy.

With assistance from advisory committees, Albany Tech Foundation, and TCSG, we will continue to be a leader in workforce preparation for the construction industry.   We continue to support the construction industry that began in the fall of 1961.  The resources devoted to the students, faculty, and programs offered by the Carlton Construction Academy indicate our level of commitment.