Greene College & Career Academy

As defined by Georgia law a College and Career Academy is a specialized charter school established by a partnership which demonstrates a collaboration between business, industry, and community stakeholders to advance workforce development between one or more local boards of education, a private individual, a private organization, or a state or local public entity in cooperation with one or more post-secondary institutions. This year the Greene College and Career Academy (GCCA) was created as a result of an application for the Technical College System of Georgia’s competitive College and Career Academy grant program.  This application was approved along with the award of a $3.15 million grant.  This award is the result of the regional partnership of the:

Greene County Board of Education (including Lake Oconee Academy)

Taliaferro County School System  & Athens Technical College (a higher education institution serving a ten-county region including Greene County)

Also vital to this award was our coalition of other government entities, non-profits and businesses in the region including the:

Governments and Non-Profits  

Greene County Board of Commissioners
Greene County Development Authority
Greene County Chamber of Commerce           

Major Employers

Reynolds Lake Oconee
Ritz Carlton Lake Oconee
St. Mary’s Health Care System        
Novelis, Inc.
Lake Oconee Area Homebuilders Association
Dozens of other business stakeholders

The governance board for the non-profit GCCA is comprised of nine (9) members, a majority of which are representatives of business and industry.  The purpose of this structure is to ensure that our local businesses and industry have strong input to the structure and direction of the GCCA.  This also allows the governance board of the GCCA to guide and direct the career pathways and programs in a proactive and responsive manner to the needs of our industries of the future.  Supporting our existing industries and quickly responding to the needs of prospective industries is and extremely important function of the GCCA.  

The GCCA includes career pathways aligned with the needs of our local business and industry and will provide students with the skills sets needed for job opportunities in Greene County.  

With the stated mission “to partner with regional employers and colleges to help students acquire the skills, certifications and diplomas needed to succeed in a career of their choosing”, the current GCCA career pathways with Athens Technical College dual enrollment components in place include:

1. Agriculture Mechanics
2. Air Force JROTC
3. Audio/ Visual Technology 
4. Automobile and Light Repair
5. Business and Technology
6. Construction (August 2019)
7. Cosmetology
8. Culinary Arts
9. Customer Service
10. Engineering and Technology  
11. General Education: Early College Essentials
12. Health Science (Nursing & Sports Medicine) 
13. Manufacturing Operations (August 2019)
14. Welding

Students enrolled in pathway programs have the opportunity to earn industry certificates and credentialing upon successful completion of course work. 

GCCA is responsive to business and industry partners who move into our region. We can quickly begin pathways and educational services that meet industry requirements for your workforce. We provide Work Based Learning and Youth Apprenticeship Programs for our students to actively work with your company while enrolled in high school. In addition, the State of Georgia provides incentives to companies who employ high school students.

Business and industry is an essential component to the success of GCCA. We look forward to partnering with industry and business considering Greene County.