South Georgia Technical College and Caterpillar are changing lives through the ThinkBig program for Heavy Equipment Diesel Technology graduates.
In 2013, Matt Bass received an opportunity that would change his life. Matt was awarded a ThinkBIG technician scholarship from Ring Power and given the opportunity to attend South Georgia Technical College to train as a heavy equipment dealer technician.
Over the next two years, Matt rotated in eight-week intervals between classroom instruction at South Georgia Technical College and hands-on training at Ring Power’s Major Component Rebuild Center in St. Augustine, FL.
After graduating from the program with honors in 2015, Matt began a full-time career in the MCRC Shop as a Component Specialist II. During his time in the Major Component Rebuild Center, Matt rebuilt engines and operated the Dyno. In 2018, Matt decided to take a position in Ring Power’s Marine division as a Field Service technician.
“During my time as a Marine Field Service Technician, I had the opportunity to travel around Florida and up the East Coast servicing boats,” Matt said. “I serviced boats as small as 40 feet, all the way up to 900-foot Military Sealift Command ships. I learned a lot from fellow marine techs, and we had a lot of fun traveling together getting the big jobs done.”
Last year, Matt accepted an offer to become the ThinkBIG and Apprenticeship and Technician Recruiter for Ring Power. “Helping the next generation coming into the industry was always exciting to me,” Matt said. “For the past three years I volunteered at Riverside Military Academy in North Georgia to teach small engine fundamentals and talk with the students about what a career as a technician looked like. Becoming a part of the ThinkBIG and Apprenticeship program just felt like a natural fit.”
Today, Matt is mentoring Ring Power’s next generation of dealer technicians. "Look at any construction site, chances are you will see Cat equipment. Look inside of a warehouse and you’ll see product being moved with a Cat forklift,” Matt said. “Drive around a grocery store or hospital and there will be a Cat generator. That fancy yacht on the water, chances are it’s powered by Cat engines. Cat equipment is all around us, and that equipment needs skilled technicians to work on it. The vast amount of Cat equipment out there means job security and a healthy bank account. I can't think of any other company that has a wider range of opportunities to work on the equipment that helps keep the world moving.”
Individuals interested in enrolling in the South Georgia Technical College Heavy Equipment Dealer’s Service Technology program can contact SGTC Admissions Director Candie Walters at cwalters@southgatech.edu or 229-931-2299 or visit the SGTC website at www.southgatech.edu to learn more.
South Georgia Technical College partners with RingPower, Thompson Machinery, Thompson Tractor, Stowers, Puckett, and Yancey Brothers. Students must be accepted for the program by a CAT dealer and South Georgia Technical College.