GMC launches Water Technology Degree program

Georgia Military College (GMC) is launching a Water Technology Degree program beginning next fall in collaboration with the City of Milledgeville and Woodard & Curran.

According to Director of Business & Community Outreach Kate Pope, the program was planned through the GMC Partners Network. As a servant leadership institution, GMC’s goal is to work with the wider community. Pope actively works to connect with partners and solve community related issues.

“How we partner looks different with every relationship, whether it be related to program development or internships,” said Pope. “Ever since I began in this role, I wanted to work closely with the city of Milledgeville, and it was through a discussion with City Manager Hank Griffeth that we found a need that GMC could assist with.”

About a year and a half ago, Pope began speaking with Griffeth about potential ways GMC could assist the city. He stressed the need for a Water and Wastewater Treatment Operator locally and the growing need for employees in the water and wastewater treatment industry around the state.

“The occupation is estimated to need to fill 320 jobs annually in the state between now and 2027.

Many of these jobs will come about due to attrition through retirements and the need to train new operators is crucial,” said Griffeth in a press release. “The ability to do that locally and through a partnership with Georgia Military College will assist the City of Milledgeville to fill these openings in our community.”

Pope immediately began conversation and worked on a program that could help combat these water-related issues in the industry. Almost two years of work founded the Water Technology Degree program. The program is a two-year associate degree program that is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of the industry, the principles and practices of water treatment, and offer them the power skills that GMC builds through their curriculums.

“There are typically not degree programs for this position, but we felt that a successful water professional needed the power skills that a degree from Georgia Military College provides; critical thinking, problem- solving, effective communication, and not surprisingly, leadership; specifically, the kind that GMC embodies, servant-leadership,” said Pope. “A servant leader wants to make the community better by strengthening their skills and being an active leader in solving issues related to their community.

GMC instills this type of teaching in each of its degree programs.”

The curriculum for the program was developed by Georgia Military College with the assistance of GMC partner Woodard & Curran.

Woodard & Curran is a science and engineering operation company with a specialty in water and environmental projects.

Their contributions will keep the curriculum of the program up to date and under constant development to ensure all GMC graduates have the expert knowledge needed to do well in the industry.

“By having Woodard & Curran serve as subject experts, we feel confident in the quality of our program, and with their help we intend to stay on the cutting-edge in embedding training and skill-building in the program,” said Pope.

“Our goals through this program are to provide a talent pipeline to the city of Milledgeville and to the state, in addition to providing a great academic and career pathway to GMC students.”

According to Pope, the program will officially begin next fall semester through GMC’s Global Online Leadership College, but in the future there are plans to create an in-person option too.

“Through our Global Online Leadership College, we will be able to scale quickly as demand grows,” said Pope. “We do hope graduates of the program use their talents to assist Milledgeville, but these skills can be used throughout the state and are needed in numerous counties.”

The Water Technology Degree program is now accepting applications for Fall 2023. To learn more about the program, visit the Georgia Military College website, www. gmc.edu.