For the second semester in a row, Gwinnett Technical College has recorded the highest enrollment numbers in the College’s 33-year history. More than 8,000 students across the region are drawing to the classrooms at Gwinnett Tech for exciting educational programs and career opportunities.
Spring semester 2017 has taken a large jump, recording a 14% uptick in enrollment over a year ago. These numbers do not include the later spring mini-mester (term C) enrollment figures expected in late February, so the final enrollment for this semester will push even higher. This past fall, the College saw a 7.3% jump in enrollment over the previous fall enrollment.
Dr. D. Glen Cannon, President of Gwinnett Tech, attributes this surge in enrollment to a few key factors:
- Opening of new and expanding academic programs designed to feed high demand careers such as engineering, cybersecurity, computer programming, business and accounting, criminal justice, early childhood education, welding and health care programs.
- The opening of the Alpharetta-North Fulton campus last year. That campus just celebrated its one-year anniversary January 6 and enrollment on the new campus continues to climb with more than 1,000 students taking classes on this campus.
- Increased awareness about programs and support services for Veterans and their families. The College’s Office of Veterans Affairs earned the 2017 Military Friendly School designation and ranked 19th in the nation on the 2017 Best Colleges for Vet
- A dramatic increase in the number of high school students enrolled in the Move on When Ready program. This semester, 1,290 high school students from public, private and home schools across the community are actively enrolled in Gwinnett Tech, while in high school, taking classes both online and on campus.
Dr. Cannon says, “Clearly, many across our community are seeking the affordable, flexible, experiential learning environment that Gwinnett Tech offers. We are constantly working to respond and deliver the educational programs that meet the real-time needs of our community. Our faculty and staff are diligent and dedicated to offering a career-focused education for real-world jobs.”
The College now offers more than 140 different associate degree, diploma and certificate programs.
Gwinnett Tech’s programs continue to grow and expand to meet the ever-changing demands of the job market. Recently, the College launched new programs in Patient Care Assistance and Central Sterile Processing to meet the needs of the local healthcare industry. A new partnership with Mercedes-Benz USA will bring online later this year a one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art automotive technology program to support the needs of Georgia’s growing automotive industry.
- Dr. Cannon stresses that Gwinnett Techs focus on superior academic quality and student success is another key growth factor. Cannon proudly states, “Many of our programs are ranked in the top ten academic programs in the nation.” He continues, “One of the biggest measures of our commitment to student success is the Colleges 99% job placement rate.” Gwinnett Tech also works to help students continue their education beyond a two-year degree, now offering 42 transfer agreements with other academic institutions across Georgia.
- Wallethub.com recently named Gwinnett Tech as the #1 Community and Technical College in Georgia and in the Top 5% nationally. Dr. Cannon continues, “Many in our community turn to Gwinnett Tech as their first choice for higher education. Whether you are ready to launch your college career or want to come back and re-engineer your current career direction, we have much to offer. We invite you to come by and see what all of the excitement is about.”
Gwinnett Tech offers the community an opportunity to explore the campus through weekly tours and information sessions. Information sessions are hosted on the Lawrenceville campus Mondays at 11 a.m. and every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Campus tours are available Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons following the 2:30 p.m. information sessions. Visitors are also welcome on the Alpharetta-North Fulton campus. Call Gwinnett Tech’s Recruitment Center at 678-226-6751 to reserve your place.
