Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) will host a “Diamond Jubilee” Celebration Oct. 3-14 to celebrate the college’s 60th anniversary.

GNTC, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, offers technical and academic instruction through traditional and distance learning leading to associate degrees, diplomas and certificates of credit programs, as well as through non-credit continuing education, economic development and adult education services.

GNTC serves the nine counties of Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Murray, Polk, Walker and Whitfield, with six campus locations in Calhoun, Dalton, Ringgold, Rockmart, Rock Spring and Rome.

“As GNTC prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary, our college remains dedicated to providing quality technical education and workforce development opportunities throughout the communities of northwest Georgia,” said Dr. Heidi Popham, GNTC president.

The two-week celebration will feature a student event on each campus with food, giveaways, photo booths and games, and the Whitfield Murray Campus in Dalton will hold Industrial Career Day on Oct. 7.

The GNTC Foundation will host a Diamond Jubilee luncheon for donors, former faculty, staff, board members and trustees. At the end of the two-week celebration, GNTC will hold an employee appreciation luncheon for current faculty and staff.

GNTC traces its roots to two technical schools established in the 1960s.

Coosa Valley Technical College was established in 1962 in Rome in Floyd County. In 1989, the Adult Education program was added.

The Gordon County Campus was added in Calhoun in 1997, and the Polk County Campus in Rockmart was added in the following year. In 2008, the Aviation Training Center at the Richard B. Russell Regional Airport in Rome was added.