The ACATT's "mission is to develop and provide
training in advanced technologies and applications
that will expand Alabama's highly skilled
information and emerging technology work force,"
Milton says. "Through its training programs, ACATT
will enhance economic growth and development."
Spearheading that effort, she says, will be the
business/industrial partnership.
The ACATT is being built on a new facility at Lawson
State Community College's west Birmingham campus.
School administrators say it adds another dimension
to a school already offering much in the area of
instruction and training to local young people.
Lawson State, which first was accredited in 1969 by
the
Commission on Colleges of
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,
offers two-year secondary degrees.
According to Geri Albright, director of public
relations and community affairs at Lawson State, the
ACATT is another exciting venture for the
established school. "While we are already
implementing the activities and programs of the
center, the structure itself is still being built,"
Albright says. "In the near future, we will be
announcing plans for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and
various grand-opening activities sometime in the
fall."
Wide array offered
Programs already planned or under way at the ACATT
will prepare students for entry-level jobs and also
offer advanced training for experienced workers,
Milton says.
"ACATT will focus efforts on competitive training
for students and educators in the latest trends so
they will be highly marketable," Milton says. "This
will include specialized training in such areas as
banking, automotive, health care and
telecommunications, and will also include business
development, work force development, training for
persons with disabilities and emerging
technologies."
While ACATT reaches out to the typical community
college student through its training programs, a
vital part of its mission is its work with employees
in the existing work force. In that capacity,
according to Milton, the center will provide "client
companies with training to meet the particular needs
of its management and employees."
Workshops and courses to be
offered this summer - before the ACATT opens in
its new base - will provide training and
instruction in such areas as computer hardware
concepts and certification, computer networking
concepts and certification, Microsoft Outlook
and PowerPoint concepts and certifications, and
IC3 concepts and certification. Milton says that
these courses are delivered in a "just-in-time
format" so that the client can work at his or
her convenience in regard to time and location.
"Participants will be able to
take the certification test at the end of the
classes," she says.
The ACATT also features a
small business center that will assist current
and prospective entrepreneurs in planning for
their business' needs.
Some of the courses offered
through this program include "How to Start a
Business," "Grant Writing for Small Businesses,"
"Writing a Business Plan" and "The Basics of
Microsoft Access."
Community assistance also
will be part of the ACATT mission. Income tax
preparation, home-buyer seminars, and programs
related to Social Security and Welfare Reform
all will be provided.
Merger
continues
The launch of the ACATT comes
on the heels of recent news that Lawson State is
merging with Bessemer State Technical College.
The merger is part of a concerted move by the
Alabama College Systems
to halt duplicated - and therefore expensive -
services among the state's two-year colleges.
Officials at both schools earlier told the BBJ
that savings from the merger could reach $1
million per year.
According to Albright, the
system has reduced the number of such schools
from 43 to 26. Milton adds that the merger also
will provide students with more flexibility and
opportunities.
The two campuses will be
known as Lawson State Community College,
Birmingham Campus, and Lawson State Community
College, Bessemer Campus.
Perry Ward will retain his
presidency over both Lawson State campuses. Mike
Bailey - the current president of
Bessemer
Tech - will move to the
Alabama Technology Network.
"Everything will not be
completely final until July, when the final
plans will be brought back in front of the
Alabama State Board of Education," Albright
says.
Cheryl Sloan Wray is a
freelance writer based in Birmingham.
