 TOOLS FOR SUCCESS A JUMP START
Upon finishing technical college courses, many students come face-to-face with a tough fact-of-life: They have to buy expensive tools or equipment to embark on their chosen careers.
But thanks to a nationwide program of the Miller Brewing Company, some 1,500 students have received more than $2 million worth of tools and equipment through its Tools for Success® program, started in 1992.
The Miller Brewing Company has helped Georgia’s technical college students as they receive their degrees, diplomas or certificates in their chosen vocations. Albany Technical College pioneered in the partnership with Miller Brewing, which has a large operation in Albany.
Numerous technical colleges put up matching funds through their foundations to obtain the Tools for Success grants. Students must have a 2.5 grade point average, complete a detailed application and secure recommendations from faculty members or employers. Students are judged on leadership, college/community involvement, employment experience and essays about why they chose their careers. The grants range from $500 to $3,000 and provide for anything from tools for construction workers to computers and peripheral equipment.
Several of Georgia’s technical colleges participate in Tools for Success. These include Albany Tech, Chattahoochee Tech (Marietta), DeKalb Tech (Clarkston), Heart of Georgia Tech (Dublin) and Georgia Aviation Technical College (Eastman).
The Miller Brewing program encourages students to enter the trained, skilled labor pool, which is always in short supply. For instance, the Information Technology Association of America has found that, although there are millions in the IT workforce, there are another 200,000 jobs employers can’t fill due to shortages of skilled workers.
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