Introduction
Lanier Technical College, located in Oakwood, Georgia, came about under the Georgia State Department of Education’s planned construction of technical schools in the late 1950s. As industrial jobs became more and more important, and the traditionally agriculture-based infrastructure began to diminish, Georgia had to address the new need for skilled and semiskilled workers, technicians, and craftsmen.
The Gainesville-Hall County Area Vocational Trade School opened in 1966, and was soon renamed the Lanier Area Vocational-Technical School. The school continued to grow in size and reputation throughout the 1970s, and expanded to include some present-day facilities like 20,000 feet of shop, classroom, and administrative space, as well as an industrial training facility. The main campus in Oakwood welcomed the Governor’s Center for Innovation in Manufacturing Excellence, a center dedicated to training, research, and support in advanced manufacturing techniques, in 2006.
Students at Lanier are awarded an associate of applied science degree, technical certificate of credit, or diploma upon the successful completion of their course of study. Many students come to Lanier for a two-year education which is then transferrable to another 4-year school, while other come for continuing training in their field of work, and still others pursue college-level classes while still in high school. Basic adult education services, like literacy and GED services are available to help students prepare for rewarding careers in the workforce.
