Higher Education Institutions in the Robins Region: Fueling the Workforce

Middle Georgia State University, Georgia Military College and Central Georgia Technical College help supply the region's growing industries.

By Teree Caruthers on July 14, 2023

Middle Georgia State University

Higher education institutions in the Robins Region are a key driver of workforce development.

Through course expansions, partnerships and building projects that meet the need of growing industries, the region’s higher education institutions – including Middle Georgia State University, Georgia Military College and Central Georgia Technical College – are helping to spur economic growth and create jobs.

Nathan Lambrecht

Training Grounds

Georgia Military College, for example, is helping meet the immediate needs of the business community through new degree programs in areas such as allied health and technical studies, health care management, homeland security and emergency management.

With campuses across the state, the college serves members of the military, veterans and their families.

“We have some students who will enter these career fields for the first time and others who are already working in some of these careers. Each of these programs prepares students to be workforce ready upon graduation. Many of our students can walk right into a job, or even advance in their current career,” says Jobie Shields, director of communications and legislative liaison for Georgia Military College.

Shields says the college also helps train the region’s police community by offering credit hours for mandated law enforcement training.

“If an officer goes through training at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, they can earn 18 college credit hours by completing their basic law enforcement certificate. Students can also earn credit hours for completing their basic correctional officer training, juvenile probation officer’s certificate and instructor training certificate,” Shields says.

Middle Georgia State University

Minding the Gaps

With five campuses across the region, Middle Georgia State University’s footprint covers 780 square miles and serves both rural and highly populated counties, allowing students to earn a degree while remaining close to home.

“From educating nurses for the Veterans Administration in Dublin or technology professionals for Robins Air Force Base missions, we can evolve our programs to meet industry needs. Just as importantly, we do so as the most affordable university in Georgia – providing opportunities to students that have a high return on their investment,” says Cheryl Carty, chief marketing and communications officer for Middle Georgia State University.

Recently, the university added degree programs in fields such as computer science to prepare for when Robins Air Force Base begins hosting the Advanced Battle Management System, which will help fuse global air and space intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information. The university also added a master’s of business in professional leadership and a graduate certificate in strategic business communication.

“The graduate degree in professional leadership was born from work that began several years ago, when a workforce development office at Robins Air Force Base approached us about establishing a professional education program to help emerging leaders grow their leadership abilities,” Carty says.

“The strategic business communication certificate was developed similarly – by listening to our employers and then designing courses that meet the needs of employers and the working professionals who wish to advance with an affordable and convenient workplace-related credential.”

Robin Gatti

A Home Away from Home

To meet the needs of health care students, Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) built its first residential housing complex for students.

Called the Lofts at Houston Central, the 265-bed development is located adjacent to the college’s Warner Robins campus and is the result of a partnership between a private developer, CGTC, Trinity School of Medicine and Houston Healthcare. Each room comes fully finished.

“While residential housing is bound to have a positive effect on boosting enrollment, we anticipate that many current students may take advantage of this opportunity as well. We have students who come from all parts of Georgia and from across the country to take advantage of programs, such as aerospace, aviation maintenance, dental hygiene and nursing, that may not be offered close to home for those students,” says Janet Kelly, assistant vice president of enrollment services, marketing and public relations for Central Georgia Technical College.

“Having a housing option available makes it easy for these students to pursue an education without the added stress of finding housing. Upon graduation, many may choose to stay and work in Warner Robins as it is one of the major aviation hubs in Georgia with local employers such as Dean Baldwin, Embraer  and Robins Air Force Base nearby.”

Companies Help with Tuition

Tuition assistance and reimbursement plans vary from company to company, but several major employers offer continued education benefits for their workforces through the higher education institutions of the Robins Region.

For example, Northrop Grumman officials say providing tuition reimbursement and assistance for their employees helps the aerospace and defense company to retain top talent. The same goes for major food employers in the area like Perdue Farms and Frito-Lay, whose officials point out that their tuition benefits heighten the level of employee loyalty.

At CarMax, full-time employees can earn up to $5,250 a year in reimbursed funds to cover tuition, fees and textbooks, and employees can take coursework in any field. Also providing reimbursement for continued education is Houston Healthcare, with all employees eligible for the program after two years of employment at the hospital.

The region’s largest employer, Robins Air Force Base, provides education funding for military and civilian students enrolled in undergraduate courses or graduate studies. The base has an on-site Military Education & Training Building with information that can help students looking to further their education.

In fact, Robins AFB offers assistance for programs at a number of colleges and universities that have a teaching presence on the base. For example, students can earn undergrad certificates in aviation safety, logistics management and supply chain management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Students also have access to degree programs on the base from Defense Acquisition University, Georgia Military College and Middle Georgia State University.

– Staff Writer Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.