Twiggs County Schools look to prep students for data center jobs
Superintendent Dr. Mack Bullard says the district hopes to partner with the data center to provide work-based learning, internships, and even scholarships for Twiggs County High School students, as well as allow data center employees to discuss stem education and careers with elementary and middle school students.
JEFFERSONVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Signs protesting the recently approved Twiggs County data center still line the sides of Jeffersonville roads. But county leaders, such as School District Superintendent Dr. Mack Bullard, are moving forward with preparation.
“We’re preparing our students for the future and not our past,” Dr. Bullard said. “And their future is in artificial intelligence.”
Dr. Bullard says current partnerships with Georgia Tech and Central Georgia Technical College allow students to code and work with A.I. And cyber security. He says the district hopes to partner with the data center to provide work-based learning, internships, and even scholarships for Twiggs County High School students, as well as allow data center employees to discuss stem education and careers with elementary and middle school students.
“That’s not something that’s plentiful in Twiggs,” Dr. Bullard said. “So having students being able to meet those types of professionals is key.”
Dr. Bullard says the district won’t wait until the data center is complete to make an impact. He says he’s spoken with Ken Loeber of Eagle Rock Partners LLC, the project developer, in regard to students in CTAE pathways assisting in building the data center’s 9 buildings.
“Landscaping, welding, construction, we have some students that this is the area that they want to focus on for a career,” Dr. Bullard said.
The ultimate goal, Dr. Bullard says, is the district opening a data center academy, preparing students for careers at the center who can get straight to work after high school, and those who you’ll need two or four-year degrees before they return.
“Having this hands-on approach, that is what we want to do,” Dr. Bullard said. “To be able to open the door to all of these opportunities and open the door to the future for our kids.”
The data center is expected to bring between 500 and 600 new jobs. Along with the current skills high students currently learn in the STEM program, Dr. Bullard says partnering with the data center will introduce cloud computing, networking and laying fiber optics.
