GCSU partners with Robins AFB to develop pipeline of qualified workers

Published 10:00 am Saturday, February 18, 2023

Robins Air Force Base is partnering with Georgia College & State University to increase the pipeline of qualified workers necessary for our nation’s defense

The Air Force Sustainment Center at Robins Air Force Base entered into an education partnership agreement with the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology at Georgia College to develop opportunities for university students to gain real-world work experiences on the base and for Robins AFB employees to access continuing education opportunities at Georgia College.

“The partnership between Georgia College & State University and Robins AFB reaffirms an historic, long-standing relationship and brings us into the future with new opportunities,” Dr. Micheal Stratton, dean of the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology said. “From internships and project-based learning for our students to building pathways for their enlisted and civilian personnel to enroll in our graduate programs, this relationship will be transformational for our respective communities.”

This education partnership offers Georgia College students inroads to one of the largest employers in Central Georgia. In FY 2021, the Robins AFB workforce totaled 23,282 people, the vast majority of whom were civilian employees.

“The bountiful career options at the base will ensure that our students and alums continue to make an impact on the regional and national economies,” Stratton said.

Georgia College’s College of Business & Technology has strengthened its focus on areas of need in an evolving economy and national defense environment. The College of Business introduced a new degree in Data Science in 2022. And the college’s online master’s in logistics continues earning high rankings among the best programs in the nation.

This new education agreement provides Robins AFB personnel the chance to collaborate with Georgia College business faculty to influence the design and delivery of courses that increase the marketability of students and develop the skill sets necessary to keep Robins AFB operating at maximum effectiveness.

The education partnership agreement signed in January, provides a five-year window of collaboration between Georgia College and Robins AFB.