Robert Croom, program director for Air Conditioning, Building Automation and Commercial Refrigeration at GPTC (left), and student Adam Lovell collaborate on a building engineering project at the college’s DeKalb Campus in Clarkston. Photo provided by GPTC.
CLARKSTON, GA — Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) received a $95,000 grant as part of the Johnson Controls Community College Partnership Program, which aims to equip students with in-demand knowledge and skills to support employment upon graduation. GPTC is one of 10 technical and community colleges across the nation receiving grants for the 2021‒2022 academic year but the only college in the state of Georgia. The grant is provided by Johnson Controls in an effort to expand associate degree and certificate programs in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), fire and security and digital building automation systems, all areas where the U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts an increased need for skilled trades expertise in the coming years.