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Gwinnett Technical College has a rich history of providing education and specialized training that leads to workforce development. Since opening its doors as the Gwinnett Area Technical School in 1984, the college has added numerous programs, made two name changes, greatly expanded its facilities and experienced record-setting enrollment growth. All are the result of its primary aim to be the recognized provider of relevant knowledge to students and businesses for life
Since its inception, Gwinnett Tech’s purpose has been to provide students with an education that leads directly to a rewarding career. Throughout the years, it has relied on business and industry to play an integral part in guiding curriculum development and ensuring that what is taught in the classroom will keep students on the cutting edge of workplace demands. In the 1980s, business and industry experienced a vast change in technology. To meet the demand for technological training, Gwinnett Tech expanded its offerings to include a wider variety of high-tech programs. In 1988, the institution’s name was changed to Gwinnett Technical Institute, aligning Gwinnett Tech with the network of state technical institutes under the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).
The following year, TCSG approved Gwinnett Tech to grant the associate degree of applied technology (AAT) in six programming areas, which paved the way for Gwinnett Tech to pursue accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Gwinnett Tech gained accreditation in record time for a state technical institute, making it one of the few technical schools with this accreditation. Gwinnett Tech reached another benchmark in its history on July 6, 2000, when it changed its name to Gwinnett Technical College to better reflect its position within the region’s higher education market. The name change was made possible by Georgia’s A+ Education Reform Act of 2000, which allowed technical institutes with proper accreditation to be designated as colleges.
Over the past three decades, Gwinnett Technical College has expanded its campus to include a variety of new facilities. Significant campus additions include the George Busbee International Center for Workforce Development, which opened in 2003, and the D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center, which opened in 2006. In the fall of 2011, the College opened its new Life Sciences Center, which serves 3,000 annually and enables the College to both expand enrollment and add additional programs in healthcare and life sciences. In June 2010, Gwinnett Tech’s service area was expanded to include North Fulton County. Today, the College continues to expand offerings for residents and businesses there. In March 2015, construction began to build the first facility on the new 25-acre campus. The first day of class in this, the first building on the new campus, was Wednesday, January 6, 2016. The College works on an ongoing basis with North Fulton high schools to offer Move On When Ready opportunities and continues to offer Continuing Education and Adult Education classes at various company locations around North Fulton.
Today, Gwinnett Tech offers more than 140 associate (AAS) degrees, diplomas and certificates in over 40 program areas and hundreds of continuing education seminars and workshops to improve job skills and provide specialized training. Our education and training programs - on both campuses - can be designed to help business respond to industry market dynamics. Gwinnett Tech is already a critical resource for local, national and global technology, healthcare and service-based companies. Continuing education and adult education opportunities further strengthen our response to individual growth and workforce development. Business and industry leaders want a skilled workforce to drive the economy of this state. Gwinnett Tech is now one of the state’s largest technical colleges and last year served more than 18,000 students through the College’s credit programs, continuing education workshops and courses, and the adult education program.
Gwinnett Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 for questions about the accreditation of Gwinnett Technical College.
In addition, some College programs hold separate licensure or accreditation status with appropriate (see respective program pages).
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