West Georgia Technical College - External Affairs

WEST GEORGIA TECHNICAL COLLEGE - EXTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- May 17, 2016 CONTACT: AARON SONES, WGTC External Affairs Coordinator c: 770.823.5295 e: [email protected] www.westgatech.edu; @WGTC

WEST GEORGIA TECH RECEIVES INDUSTRY CERTIFIED WELDING ACCREDITATION

West Georgia Technical College’s welding program has earned National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certification as an accredited training and education facility.

The NCCER accreditation means that West Georgia Tech students in the welding program will be training at an official NCCER training and educational facility. Those students will have an opportunity to take the NCCER test, and if they pass will be NCCER certified.

The NCCER credential is submitted into a national registry that allows organizations and companies to track the qualifications of a potential hire. Students also receive an industry-recognized card indicating which assessments they have completed.

“Earning this accreditation is another example of how West Georgia Technical College is training our future workforce to meet the needs of business and industry,” said West Georgia Technical College President Steve G. Daniel. “Through collaborative efforts, West Georgia Tech and our sister technical colleges in the state are making an impact not only in the lives of students, but in the economy as a whole. I want to thank Zach Fields and CEFGA for their partnership with us as our industry sponsor, as well as Pat Hannon, Linda Sullivan, Brandon Parrott and everyone else who played a role in the NCCER accreditation process."

“Achieving the NCCER accreditation for our welding program was a priority because it really does have a positive impact when one of our graduates enters the job market with the NCCER certification,” said WGTC Vice President of Academic Affairs Pat Hannon. “This accreditation is an outside validation of the high quality and standards that we expect from all of our programs. I want to thank the individuals who spent countless hours over the last three to four years in efforts to achieve this accreditation, as well as the CEFGA and NCCER representatives who worked with us to ensure that we were creating a training facility that meets and exceeds industry standards."

Earning the NCCER certification gives students an added advantage as they enter or reenter the workforce, according to West Georgia Tech welding instructor Brandon Parrott.

“Companies who are hiring will often ask if you have the NCCER certification,” Parrott said. “It’s tracked through a registry so potential employers can look in the database and see that you are certified. I’ve even heard of some companies providing up to four dollars per hour raises to those that are NCCER certified.”

West Georgia Technical College began the NCCER accreditation process around four years ago. Instructors must take a 40-hour course and each potential NCCER training facility goes through a rigorous process of establishing industry standards within the facility with the help of a sponsor from the industry.

The Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) was West Georgia Tech’s industry sponsor throughout the accreditation process. CEFGA representatives worked with West Georgia Tech officials to ensure that the welding lab renovations met industry standards. Upon approval from both CEFGA and NCCER, West Georgia Tech was awarded its NCCER accreditation.

CEFGA Director of School Relations Mr. Zach Fields presented the official NCCER accreditation to West Georgia Tech administration and faculty on April 22.

NCCER was created in 1996 with the support of more than 125 construction CEOs and various association and academic leaders who united to revolutionize training for the construction industry. With the common goal of developing a safe and productive workforce, a standardized training and credentialing program was created for the industry. The program has evolved into curricula for more than 70 craft areas and a complete series of more than 70 assessments offered in over 4,000 NCCER-accredited training and assessment locations across the United States.

Welding is one of the 70 craft areas, and now West Georgia Tech is an official NCCER accredited training facility.

West Georgia Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson and Troup counties and class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties offers over 120 associate degree, diploma and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Tech is the fourth largest of the state’s 22 technical colleges.