MACON, Ga. — Jacob Gramling is a part of the aerospace program at Central Georgia Technical College. He looks around at the new building that will soon be his new classroom. "Overall, it's just going to increase our learning potential quite a bit."
A partnership with Macon-Bibb County, Robins Air Force Base, and Central Georgia Technical College will bring in up to 300 new jobs. The program will provide mentoring between experienced civil service employees and roughly 450 students. Gramling hopes to one day work for Delta Airlines as an aviation mechanic.
"A lot of these people have been through the same thing that we are going through, so it's just a lot of extra insight -- to where to go next after school, how to take that next step, how to progress and really build a career," Gramling said.
Robins Air Force Base Commander John Kubinec says the Boeing plant sat empty for a couple of years. Now, it's time to fill it with workers. "It's a shame that a place like this would sit empty -- it's not going to be for long," said Kubinec.
Retired Robins Air Force Base Commander Robert McMahon, now Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment, says this is another example of Robins' continued growth.
"It's a reflection of this entire community and how important it is to support Robins Air Force Base," McMahon said.
Governor Brian Kemp says he pushed for workforce development and education during this legislative session. He says this program is a step in the right direction. "Workforce is one of the biggest issues in our state and this low unemployment economy that we have, and these kind of state-of-the-art partnerships is what's going to keep us on the cutting edge here in the great state of Georgia, and keep us the number 1 state in the country for business."
They're calling the facility the Aviation Workforce Training and Sustainment Center, and they'll welcome students and faculty starting on July 1st.