West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) successfully hosted two National Manufacturing Day events this year — one at its Carroll campus and the other in partnership with the LaGrange Development Authority at WGTC’s LaGrange campus. Together, the events welcomed more than 1,600 high school students from 11 school systems and connected them with approximately 40 manufacturing companies, offering first-hand exposure to rewarding, high-tech careers in modern manufacturing.
Students explored a wide range of industries through interactive booths and hands-on demonstrations, featuring sectors such as textiles, healthcare products, firearms, automotive, and precision manufacturing. At the Carroll Campus, students toured WGTC’s state-of-the-art manufacturing, machining, and welding labs, while those attending the LaGrange event experienced the college’s mobile welding and advanced manufacturing labs and tested technical skills through virtual and augmented reality in the Be Pro Be Proud Georgia trailer.
Designed as an interactive, trade show–style event rather than a job fair, National Manufacturing Day encouraged students to freely discover career pathways, engage with emerging technologies, and see first-hand the innovation driving today’s manufacturing industry.
“These events bring full circle the skills, jobs, technology, industries, and education that are vital to the West Georgia region and our entire state,” said WGTC President Dr. Julie Post. “Connecting students directly with today’s advanced manufacturing opportunities is exactly the kind of work that builds stronger communities and a stronger workforce. This couldn’t be more important—or more exciting—to be a part of.”
For more information about manufacturing programs at WGTC, visit westgatech.edu.
West Georgia Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson, and Troup counties and class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties, offers more than 120 associate degree, diploma, and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Tech is one of the largest of the state’s 22 technical colleges. For more information, please visit www.westgatech.edu.
