Dr. Ginger Mathis (right), campus manager for GNTC’s Whitfield Murray Campus, leads a delegation of international MBA students from Bentley University on a tour of GNTC and the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy.
A delegation of international MBA students from Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., visited Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Whitfield Murray Campus as part of a tour to learn more about workforce development initiatives in Georgia.
“When I was trying to arrange our tour I was looking for a place that had a good economic development system,” said David Scharzkopf, director of Bentley University’s MBA program and faculty advisor for the tour. “I saw some headlines that Georgia Northwestern Technical College has been very involved with the floor covering industry, the Northwest Georgia Regional Development Commission, and with specific companies.”
The visit to Dalton included a tour of the labs and facilities that are part of the Engineering, Technology, and Manufacturing pathways at the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy and the Industrial Systems Technology and Electronics Technology programs at GNTC.
“I was very impressed with the facilities and how the infrastructure here is state-of-the-art,” said Evita Florendo a Bentley University MBA student from the Philippines. “We came to Georgia to look at how the different agencies – the government agencies, the state, the private sector – collaborate to really have the same vision, the same plan, and goal that improves the lives of the community.”
The trip to the Northwest Georgia region also included a morning visit to the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission and an afternoon tour of Shaw Industries Group, Inc.
“The students are here to learn about how our local community is working together to address the needs of our industry and our region,” said Brian Cooksey, director of operations and development at Shaw Industries Group, Inc. “I think they will be able to see some of the jobs in our industry, some of the products that we have, and how workforce development needs relate to that and how important it is that we have folks that have the skills to perform those jobs now and in the future.”
The day trip to Dalton was part of a larger tour that the international delegation of MBA students were taking of Georgia that included the Atlanta area, Georgia Tech, Georgia Quick Start, and other organizations.
“I think manufacturing is this area’s strength and it is very good that they cater to it,” said Matina Keramida a Bentley University MBA student from Greece. “Developing some other sector from scratch will take time so it’s a very good thought to try to build on your strength.”
Georgia Northwestern Technical College serves Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Murray, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield counties in Georgia with campuses located in Floyd, Gordon, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield counties. Approximately 16,000 people benefit from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs, making it the largest college in Northwest Georgia and the fourth largest technical college in Georgia.