Flint River Technical College

FLINT RIVER TECHNICAL COLLEGE 1533 Highway 19 South ∙ Thomaston, Georgia 30286

Contact: Kay Williamson, Office of Public Relations and Information Phone: 706.646.6131 ∙ Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

One Georgia Authority Awards Taylor County Grant for Technology and Workforce Development Center

Governor Sonny Perdue announced on Monday, July 24, 2006 that Taylor County will receive a One Georgia Authority grant for $500,000 for the Taylor County Regional Technology and Workforce Development Center. Taylor County, Talbot County, and Schley County were co-applicants in the grant process. Flint River Technical College and Fort Valley State University Head Start will be occupants of the new expanded center.

The Taylor County Center, located in Butler, Georgia, was originally built in 1994 from a Community Block Grant. Over the years, the center has provided adult literacy services, childcare services, technical college certificate classes, and the Head Start Program. The One Georgia Grant will provide funding for an 8,350 square foot expansion of the center that will create a total of 16,430 square feet. Within the expansion will be five new classrooms, a technical lab, -more- restrooms, offices, storage areas, and parking. It is anticipated that the Taylor County Technology and Workforce Development Center will serve approximately 4,000 persons in adult literacy and college credit programs over the next ten years as well as hundreds of children enrolled in the Head Start Program.

The grant award was made at the One Georgia Authority Board meeting held in Vidalia. Governor Perdue also announced that Bulloch County, the City of Gordon, Tift-Turner-Worth-Cook JDA, and Wilkes County also were recipients of funding from the One Georgia Authority. Representatives of Taylor County Government, Talbot Count, Schley County, and Flint River Technical College were in attendance.