OAKWOOD, Ga. – Thanks to a grant distributed by Governor Sonny Perdue, the Center of Innovation for Manufacturing Excellence (CIME) at Lanier Technical College was awarded $300,000 today to provide education and training opportunities on manufacturing to youth, adults and incumbent workers.

“Manufacturing companies around the world are adopting new strategies to be competitive in today’s global economy,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “Lanier Tech’s Center of Innovation for Manufacturing Excellence represents Georgia’s commitment to provide a skilled workforce to the manufacturing industry in Georgia, as it transitions into more advanced practices.”

The $300,000 grant announced today will enable high school students to participate in robotics camps and will give local adults an introduction to Advanced Manufacturing career opportunities. A portion of the awarded funds will be used for matching grant opportunities for the manufacturing industry to support incumbent worker training.

The matched grants will result in an increased skill level of the existing workforce and the creation of entry level openings for job seekers. CIME will also target “at risk” manufacturing industries with the opportunity to transition to more advanced techniques.

“We’re taking a pro-active approach so that companies will maintain their competitive edge through training and support services,” said Debra Lyons, program manager for the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development. “We believe these efforts will ensure manufacturing jobs remain in Georgia.”

The technologies taught at the CIME are identified through a collaborative partnership between manufacturing companies and Georgia’s technical colleges. The grant is administered from the Governor’s Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Statewide Discretionary Fund.

“This grant will allow us to provide a more extensive retraining program for our manufacturers that are facing fierce global competition,” said Dr. Mike Moye, president of Lanier Technical College. “The college will also be able to expand our work with the Governor’s high school graduation coaches as we aggressively offer at risk high school students the opportunity to experience automated manufacturing through our after-school and summer camps.”