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Programs at Augusta Tech seeing 100% job placement despite local unemployment numbers

Posted: 2:55 PM Feb 5, 2013
Reporter: Christie Ethridge

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Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW) -- "Oh, I'm 100 percent confident I will have a job after this," said nuclear engineering technology student Shilo Dennard.

He's in the second class of the program at Augusta Tech.

"The reason I chose it is because where the economy is at," he explained.

While numbers show Augusta is losing jobs, these students seem to be finding them.

"We're turning out close to 1,500 to 2,000 people per year into the job market," boasted College President Terry Elam. "Those are not the people in the 9 percent unemployment group."

In fact, both the Nursing and Nuclear Technology majors are running at 100 percent job placement.

"Those are very unique programs that started with partnerships, one with hospitals and the other with the expansion at Plant Vogtle," Elam said.

Now, Dennard's hoping it's his turn. This isn't his first time in college. He already has a four-year degree.

"I always thought when I got out of school, I'd go find a job and stick with that job and be there forever," Dennard said.

He says that's not how it worked out.

Instead, he says he "ended up staying home with my kids for eight years."

After eight years without a job, now he's back in school and on the horizon of a new future.

"Oh I'm excited about my future. I have no doubt that I will be employed, and I will be working almost immediately after I finish," Dennard said.

He's not the only confident one.

"We put a warranty on our students because we feel like we're teaching what the job market is looking for. If they go to work and they cannot perform, we expect the company to send them back to us," Elam said.

Elam says if a program isn't getting at least 80 percent of their students jobs, it gets shut down.

The school also has direct partnerships to get students jobs in their criminal justice field, law enforcement, and heating and air conditioning.