Year Up Atlanta Partners with Gwinnett Technical College to Help Meet Market Demand for Skilled Talent
Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) June 14, 2016 -- Continuing to scale its innovative and effective approach to job training, Year Up Atlanta announced today its partnership with Gwinnett Technical College to help meet market demand for skilled entry-level talent. The program is also adopting a new name, Year Up Greater Atlanta, to reflect its expanded service area.
The first class of 40 students will begin taking classes at Gwinnett Technical College, on the Alpharetta-North Fulton campus, this August. The partnership will allow Year Up Greater Atlanta and Gwinnett Technical College to serve more low-income young adults in the metropolitan area, including those from North Fulton, and Gwinnett County, and provide them with a viable path to professional careers and college completion. The year-long program will provide technical and professional skills training followed by an internship at a top local company.
“Gwinnett Tech is thrilled to partner with Year Up,” says Dr. D. Glen Cannon, President. “Our faculty and staff are committed to student success in powerful personal and professional education that leads to a rewarding career in today’s high demand industries. Workforce development is a vital component of community success and prosperity, as well. Our collaboration with Year Up Greater Atlanta provides opportunities for both students and their families to thrive in the business community.”
“This is an exciting time in the history of Year Up Greater Atlanta, in which we will be able to serve a broader population of opportunity youth in the Alpharetta and North Fulton regions,” said Dr. Bonita Flournoy, who will serve as the Site Director on behalf of Year Up Greater Atlanta. “With Gwinnett Technical College as our partner, we will continue our legacies of providing highly prepared and in-demand talent for Metro Atlanta’s technical workforce.”
Previously, Dr. Flournoy served as Year Up’s Director of Academic Programs. Prior to joining Year Up, she was a Dean and Professor at Atlanta Metropolitan State College (AMSC) in the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Health Professions.
“I’m honored and excited to partner with the wonderful leadership team at Gwinnett Technical College (GTC),” said Kim Williams, Executive Director of Year Up Greater Atlanta. “I’m confident that with Gwinnett Technical College’s commitment to empowering Atlanta’s young adults along with Bonita’s leadership and higher education experience we are positioned extremely well for mutual partnership, growth and acceleration of our young adults to professional careers and ongoing commitment to higher education.”
Gwinnett Technical College is Georgia’s third largest technical college, serving more than 18,000 students annually, in college credit courses, adult education and continuing education. Construction on the Alpharetta – North Fulton campus progressed ahead of schedule and credit classes began on January 6, 2016. In FY15, the college awarded 3,063 technical certificates of credit, and the highest number of associate degrees (612) in the state.
Year Up Greater Atlanta currently serves 250 young adults each year, and plans to serve 410 students annually by 2018. Since its launch in 2009, Year Up has helped more than 1,000 young adults (ages 18-24, without college degrees) gain in-demand technical, professional and communication skills in areas such as Information Technology, Sales Support and Quality Assurance/Business Intelligence. Ninety-three percent of Year Up Greater Atlanta’s most recent graduating class was employed in an IT-related field or attending college full-time within four months of completing the yearlong program, with an average starting salary of $36,000/year. Learn more about Year Up Greater Atlanta by following us on Twitter @YearUpAtlanta and on Facebook.
About Year Up Inc.
Year Up's mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Year Up achieves this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college credits. Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Year Up currently serves more than 3,000 students a year at sites in Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Jacksonville, the National Capital Region, New York City, Philadelphia, Providence, Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay Area, and South Florida. To learn more, visit http://www.yearup.org or http://www.youtube.com/yearupinc.
About Gwinnett Technical College
Gwinnett Technical College, one of Georgia's largest technical colleges, is committed to delivering relevant knowledge to meet the workforce training needs of its community. The College offers more than 150 associate degree, diploma and certificate programs and hundreds of seminars, workshops and courses providing specialized training. Gwinnett Tech is Gwinnett County's largest provider of corporate training and also serves residents and businesses in north Fulton County. Gwinnett Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Gwinnett Technical College. In addition, some college programs hold separate licensure or accreditation status with appropriate agencies. For more information, visit http://www.GwinnettTech.edu. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.
Roberto Zeledon, Year Up, http://www.yearup.org, +1 857-305-9995, [email protected]
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