Approximately 50 John Deere Ag Technology students and their parents, family members, and John Deere Dealers from across the southeastern United States attended a special Fall Semester Registration/Orientation session at South Georgia Technical College in the Ag Technology classrooms and lab in the Energy and Transportation Center building recently.
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford welcomed the group and thanked each of them for choosing South Georgia Technical College and the Agriculture Technology program for their education and career.
“South Georgia Technical College trains individuals for careers of a lifetime. Each of you in this room already know that you have a job waiting for you with John Deere as soon as you enroll,” said Dr. Watford. “You will spend eight weeks on our campus and then return to your respective dealers to put that knowledge to work and you will repeat this cycle again over the next year and a half. Our job is to provide you with the skills and knowledge that you need to succeed in you chosen career.”
In addition to the welcome by President Watford, SGTC Academic Dean Dr. David Finley, SGTC Vice President from Academic Affairs David Kuipers, SGTC Vice President for Institutional Advancement Su Ann Bird, SGTC Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Josh Curtain, and SGTC Special Programs Coordinator Tami Blount Bird also talked with the group.
South Georgia Technical College Agriculture Technology instructors Matthew Burkes and Wayne Peck introduced themselves to the parents and students and gave an overview of the program.
The instructors shared with the students and parents the structure of the two-year associate degree program and outlined the expectations of the college, the instructors, and the dealers. SGTC Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Josh Curtin went over housing and security details for those who plan to live on-campus.
Students applying for this two-year associate degree program must be accepted by South Georgia Technical College, meet specific dealership requirements that include placement tests and completion of a portfolio before final acceptance. Students attend class at South Georgia Technical College for eight weeks of each semester and then work in a dealership applying that classroom knowledge for the second eight weeks. They return to campus the following semester and repeat the process for the full two-years. SGTC rotates cohorts of students for the first and second half of each semester so one cohort is on campus and one is at the dealership during each part of the semester.
The John Deere dealers who support the Agricultural Technology program at South Georgia Technical College include: Ag Pro, Blanchard Equipment, Everglades Equipment, Flint Equipment, Lasseter, SunSouth, and Tri-Green Equipment.
For more information on how to enroll in the John Deere Ag Technology program, contact SGTC Admissions Director Candie Walkers at cwalters@southgatech.edu or call 229-931-2394 or your local John Deere Dealers or www.southgatech.edu. A video explaining the SGTC program is located at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEqMIy-m-js&t=73s&ab_channel=SouthGeorgiaTechnicalCollege.
Matthew Burks, mburks@southgatech.edu and Wayne Peck, wpeck@southgatech.edu; are the Ag Technology Instructors for South Georgia Technical College and can also answer questions about the program. Tami Blount, tbount@southgatech.edu, can also assist with questions about the program and enrollment process.
Fall semester at South Georgia Technical College begins August 18th. There are over 200 associate degree, diploma, and technical certificate of credit programs available. Students can apply, test, and enroll in one day. SGTC has a 99% job placement rating for graduates. Financial aid is available.
To apply contact the SGTC admissions office at 229-931-2394 in Americus or 229-271-4040 in Cordele. A special Registration/Orientation Day is set for August 17th at 9:30, 1:30 and 5 p.m. in Americus and 9:30 and 5 p.m. in Cordele.