The board of the Technical College System of Georgia approved grants totaling $12 million to establish new College and Career Academies in Ben Hill County, Jackson County, Jones County and Sumter County. TCSG Commissioner, Matt Arthur will award four partnerships with grant funds to establish the new College & Career Academies in the cumulative bond amount of $12 million and the cumulative cash amount of $440,000.

“As we look to the future, we see that many employment opportunities in Georgia will require education beyond high school,” said Gov. Nathan Deal. “To help meet this demand, Georgia’s College and Career Academies bring together the resources of local education systems and our technical college system to better prepare students to enter the workforce or pursue higher education. Community support is critical in our efforts to cultivate educational settings that introduce students to high-demand fields and strengthen academic achievement. With these four new academies in Ben Hill, Jackson, Jones and Sumter counties, TCSG is establishing even more innovative partnerships to expand opportunities for Georgia students in the years to come.”

Four of Georgia’s technical colleges will partner with local education systems to establish the academies. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College will partner with Ben Hill County Schools to establish the Fitzgerald High School College and Career Academy; Lanier Technical College will partner with Jackson County Schools to establish the Empower College and Career Academy; Central Georgia Technical College will partner with Jones County Schools to establish the Jones County High School College and Career Academy; and South Georgia Technical College will partner with Sumter County Schools to establish the Ignite College and Career Academy.  

“These four communities demonstrate tremendous leadership and vision when it comes to providing more students with educational programs that lead directly to a career,” said TCSG Commissioner Arthur. “College and Career Academies are a proven workforce development model that brings together high schools, technical colleges and industry to provide students with innovative, hands-on educational experiences that create a pipeline of skilled talent.”

The addition of these four will bring the number of College and Career Academies in Georgia to 47. More than 20,000 students are already enrolled in College and Career Academies throughout the state.