Georgia-Pacific Donates to AC’s Technology and Workforce Center

Recently, Georgia-Pacific, through their Charitable Foundation, continued its generosity by donating another $10,000 to Angelina College’s Technology and Workforce Development Center. Those funds will provide equipment and training for maintenance technicians in AC’s Technology and Workforce Development Center, and therefore help develop both talent and opportunities for future and current employees in the East Texas area.

According to a release from the AC News Service, the training and education received through AC’s programs have helped trainees advance in their current employment situations and in future career choices. Georgia Pacific officials have explained that AC has helped prepare “ready-made employees” who are fully prepared to begin working in various manufacturing positions.

The partnership also helps cultivate home-grown talent, which aids the entire community in what GP officials have called a “highly competitive work environment.”

In 2019, GP’s donation led to the purchase of such key items as electrical cabinets for motor control projects, but the pandemic and subsequent campus shutdowns delayed implementation, according to AC Technology instructor David Turbeville. This year, Turbeville said, the funds provided will allow the purchase of material handling equipment “to provide a realistic learning environment which will be tied in with the motor control and programmable logic controller systems.”

AC president Dr. Michael Simon lauded the continued support from area industries.

“I’m thankful for the ongoing support from Georgia Pacific,” Simon said. “The AC team works diligently to meet the workforce development needs of regional employees such as GP. We’re happy to be on a ‘winning team’ with GP.”

Simon is pictured above with Krista Brown, Executive Director of Marketing and Strategic Enrollment.