Students completing the Heavy Equipment Dealer Service Technology (HEDST) and Electric Power Generation (EPG) programs at South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) were recently recognized in a ceremony on the Americus campus. HEDST instructors Kyle Hartsfield and Don Rountree as well as EPG instructor Keith McCorkle presented certificates to each of the 36 students who completed the program this spring.
The Heavy Equipment Dealer Service Technology and Electric Power Generation programs were established through a partnership with Caterpillar Equipment (CAT). The programs are built around CAT’s proprietary ThinkBIG curriculum. Students in the programs are sponsored by CAT dealerships and receive hands-on training and real-world experience through a combination of classroom and lab instruction on the SGTC campus and paid internships at their respective sponsoring dealerships.
Upon completing the two-year HEDST or EPG programs, students go to work as Service Technicians with their sponsor dealer. HEDST graduates work on CAT’s earth moving machinery, while EPG graduates service CAT’s line of power generation equipment.
The SGTC student recognition program was held in the Heavy Equipment College of Technology building on Thursday, April 22, 2021. During the casual ceremony, three students -- Ben Ellis and Ethan Starnes in the HEDST program and Zack Ramey in the EPG program -- were recognized as the top students in the class. All three offered remarks to the audience of family members and Caterpillar dealer representatives reflecting on their time in the program and the high quality of instruction they received.
The three program instructors offered congratulatory remarks to the class on their completion of the rigorous training. Other speakers included: Tony Tice, Technical Training Manager, Thompson Machinery; Brad Manis, Corporate Recruiter, Stowers Machinery; and Jeff Cornwell, Corporate Recruiter, Yancey Brothers. Representatives from partner dealerships RingPower, Puckett Machinery, and Thompson Tractor were also on hand for the event.
For more information on the Heavy Equipment Dealer Service Technology and Electric Power Generation programs at South Georgia Technical College, contact Don Rountree (drountree@southgatech.edu or 229-931-2076) or Kyle Hartsfield (khartsfield@southgatech.edu or 229-931-2586).