Gov. Nathan Deal announced that the board of the Technical College System of Georgia approved grants totaling $9 million to help establish new College and Career Academies in Chattahoochee, Tift and Worth counties. Each of the three academies will receive $3 million, which will be matched with local funding to support startup costs, construction and initial staffing.

“Many of Georgia’s current and future employment opportunities require some form of education beyond high school,” said Deal. “To meet this demand, we are broadening access to postsecondary education throughout the state for the fields in high demand. Georgia’s College and Career Academies bring together the resources of school districts and the technical college system to effectively prepare students to enter the workforce or pursue other options in higher education. In this effort, TCSG is working toward long-term educational goals and forging innovative partnerships that will serve many of Georgia’s students for years to come.” 

Two of Georgia's technical colleges will partner with local education systems to establish the academies. Columbus Technical College will partner with the Chattahoochee County School District and Columbus State University to create the Chattahoochee Valley College & Career Academy. Tift County Schools will partner with Southern Regional Technical College to launch the Tift Valley College & Career Academy in Tifton. The Worth County School District will also partner with Southern Regional Technical College to establish the Worth County High School College & Career Academy in Sylvester.

“Georgia’s students deserve every opportunity for academic success – and with the creation of these new College and Career Academies, we are one step closer to ensuring all students have access to these world class learning institutions,” said Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle. “These school systems have embraced innovation in the classroom, bringing business and community leaders together to truly unleash their students’ potential to build a workforce second to none.”

“We congratulate these communities and look forward to helping students benefit from these new academies,” said TCSG Commissioner Gretchen Corbin. “The academies are a significant factor in the incredible growth of the Move On When Ready dual enrollment program, which saw more than 17,000 high school students receive credits at our colleges last year and includes more than 14,000 enrolled this fall semester alone.”