FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2008
Contact Ben Chambers, (770) 537-5756

CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON COLLEGE AND CAREER INSTITUTE


Though ground has officially been broken for several months, construction has started in earnest on the College and Career Institute, a joint venture of the Douglas County School System, West Central Technical College and local business and industry, College officials report.

Heavy equipment began last week to remove a parking lot which previous occupied the building site – located on West Central Tech’s Douglas Campus on Timber Ridge Drive.

“This being a collaboration of two governmental entities, it has been an arduous process to get all the correct pieces in place to actually begin construction,” West Central President Dr. Skip Sullivan said. “Nonetheless, we feel a tremendous sense of satisfaction, as we know the school system does as well, in getting this building up and going to serve students by the start of the high school term in fall of 2009.”

The 55,000 square foot CCI will provide additional educational opportunities for dually-enrolled high school students as well as adult learners on the campus of West Central Tech. CCI will make it easier for high school students to earn college credit in an occupational field while simultaneously working toward their high school diplomas.

The building will house a considerable array of new programs including welding, dental assisting, automotive technology, HVAC, computer aided drafting, cosmetology and pharmacy technician.

“We are working to finalize the complete list of new programs,” Vice President of Academic Affairs Pat Hannon said, “but I can already tell you that these will be major program additions to the Douglas Campus, both for dual enrollment students and adults. It appears that most of these programs will offer day and evening classes.”

“Douglas County residents can look forward to many new educational opportunities on our campus because of the additional space available at the CCI,” Hannon said.

West Central Technical College, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, first opened a campus in Douglasville in September 1995. The 45-acre site currently has three separate buildings totaling about 81,000 square feet, including an instruction building and a large conference center. The CCI will bring total square footage for the campus to over 136,000 square feet.

West Central Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas and Haralson counties, offers over 90 associate degree, diploma and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Central last year served over 10,000 students including credit enrollment, adult education, ESL classes, continuing education and corporate training. In FY 2008, West Central was the fastest-growing technical college in Georgia.

Earth-moving equipment is busy at the site for the College and Career Institute – a collaborative effort of the Douglas County School System, West Central Technical College and local business and industry. The site is on the Douglas Campus of West Central Technical College at 4600 Timber Ridge Drive in Douglasville.

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