The largest freightliner truck dealer in Georgia recently wrote a check to Gwinnett Technical College for $78,800.
Peach State Freightliner, which has a 62,000 square foot facility in Jefferson and a parts warehouse in Doraville, gave the college the money to pay for equipment and training. It’s directly related to build awareness for Gwinnett Tech’s diesel program which offers certificates in heavy diesel service technician and diesel power generation.
Peach State Truck Centers CEO Rick Reynolds said the partnership, which includes Daimler Trucks North America, is valuable because even though the heavy-duty truck industry is seeing unprecedented growth, “there is a critical shortage of technicians.”
The program includes a Daimler web-based training certificate, and training on Detroit engines and Daimler electrical systems.
Gwinnett Tech’s Heavy Diesel Service Technician Program is a 33-credit hour certificate level curriculum that provides training in theory and diagnosis of basic systems found on diesel engines and heavy equipment. A one-year program for a full-time student, the program includes a required 180-hour internship.
Gwinnett Tech President Glen Cannon said the partnership offers industry-specific experience to help students become more employable for the job market.
“While the caliber of the faculty is always an excellent foundation for our students in the academic and technical fields, this partnership will better allow Gwinnett Tech to educate highly qualified individuals for the workforce,” Cannon said in a press release.
Peach State Freightliner has already implemented a web-based training program that can be used for 80 students per year, which includes traditional courses to be taught in a hybrid of in-class and online instruction.
Peach State Freightliner will give Gwinnett Tech training boards and engines through its loan program for hands-on educational opportunities for students in class. Students enrolled in the Heavy Diesel Service Technician Program will be eligible for more training through internships at the company’s Jefferson, Norcross, Austell, Forest Park, and McDonough facilities in Georgia.
