In Chattooga County and across rural Northwest Georgia, the conversation about life after high school is changing — not because college suddenly got easier, but because more families are weighing the rising cost of a traditional four-year degree against the practical need for training that leads directly to a paycheck.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program has added another aircraft for student training, thanks to a donation of a Cessna 401A from a private individual in Dalton.
Program director Zac Fager says it’s the fourth 400-series Cessna now owned by GNTC and will be used in all areas of hands-on instruction. The aircraft had been stored in a hangar at Dalton Municipal Airport before being moved to GNTC’s Aviation Training Center, where it was reassembled.
GNTC President Dr. Heidi Popham says the gift will help train the skilled professionals the aviation industry needs.
Fager says the timing is critical, because students are constantly disassembling, inspecting, and repairing aircraft components—and having additional aircraft helps ensure graduates gain the Airframe and Powerplant experience needed to be workforce-ready.
Students will be returning to Georgia Northwestern Technical College for the spring semester, one week from today on January 12, 2026. Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) continues to be a major resource for residents across Northwest Georgia by providing career-focused education, adult learning opportunities, and workforce training designed to help people move into better jobs and meet the needs of local employers.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) is encouraging prospective students across Northwest Georgia to take the first step toward a new career by applying free of charge during the month of December.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Office of Adult Education held its Fall 2025 Graduation Ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 18, honoring students who earned their High School Equivalency (HSE) diplomas.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College President Heidi Popham has been elected to serve on the board of trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the accrediting body for degree-granting higher education institutions across the southern states.
Troyanna “Troy” Foster, an Adult Basic Education (ABE) instructor with Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Adult Education program, has been named GNTC’s Adult Education Teacher of the Year for 2026.
Two Georgia Northwestern Technical College students are being recognized with the first-ever Jerry Jones Memorial Scholarship, created to provide financial support for students enrolled in EMT or Advanced EMT certificate programs.
Nearly 300 students from across Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s nine-county service area will be honored this week during GNTC’s 2025 Fall Commencement Ceremony. Graduation will be held Thursday, December 4th, at the Dalton Convention Center, with the ceremony beginning at 6 p.m.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) Human Resources has received a Model Agency Award for fiscal year 2025. This recognition comes after the Georgia Department of Administrative Services Human Resources Administration (HRA) assessed various agencies, with thirteen achieving a Tier 1 compliance ranking in the FY2025 Human Resources Assessment.
