Dr. Craig Wentworth, President of Southern Regional Technical College for this eleven county region, spoke to Bainbridge Rotary Club on Tuesday as members gathered at the Country Club for their weekly meeting.

SRTC is one of 22 state technical colleges. System-wide they offer 151 programs of study to over 4600 students. Program divisions are: Health Services, Business Programs, Professional Services and Industrial Technology. They also offer general education courses, both diploma and degree programs, which do transfer to other institutions.

SRTC currently owns the former Bainbridge State College Campus, having purchased it from ABAC in August, 2018. It does rent space to ABAC for some of their programs.

Wentworth said the center was involved with the negotiations held with the Taurus Manufacturing plant that will add 200-300 new jobs when they open. The school will be offering new training specifically tailored for their needs, such as precision machining and automated services. They will also continue working with Bainbridge Manufacturing, offering welding and drafting. Wentworth clarified that students enrolling in these programs will need to have a high school diploma or a GED. He then added that the Center offers free GED preparation courses.

Customized economic development training courses are also available to be taken into manufacturers and businesses where on-site training is given to employees.

The Center offers dual enrollment for students who are still in high school. They currently offer that option in 14 area high schools. The students receive dual credits for classes taken that meet the requirements for high school graduation as well as being transferrable to colleges and universities.

Wentworth said the program for the dual credit students is tuition free, and also includes textbooks. He reported 1800 students in the region are currently enrolled.

The Bainbridge campus currently has 360 high school students enrolled in dual enrollment. Some come on campus, while other courses are offered at the high school building.

Wentworth reported a significant 20 percent increase in fall enrollment this year.

There is also a non-credit continuing education program offering such courses as cake decorating, dog obedience, gun safety and beginning bridge.

Although the designated region covers 11 counties that stretch from Ashburn, Ga. down I-75 to the Florida line, and west to the Alabama line, Wentworth said they do have students who come from those immediate neighboring states. They are paying in-state tuition of $89 per semester hour—the same as Georgia residents pay.

The Donalsonville campus is still owned by ABAC and SRTC plans to add courses in fire science technology there in the future.