April 18, 2022—Jim Hudson Automotive Group recently gifted Augusta Technical College a $1M gift to support a new Automotive Technology facility.
"Cars have always been in my blood, and this partnership with Augusta Technical College will allow young men and women the opportunity to be educated and trained in the automotive world," Hudson says. "Our company was built on three pillars: our employees, our customers, and the community. My main objective with this donation is to strengthen our community and for us to see a lasting impact on the future."
According to a story by ColaDaily, leading up to the donation, the technical college has met and worked with local automotive entities regarding the training needs throughout the region over the past seven months.
The new facility will be located in the Laney Walker Community, the college's flagship location for extensive automotive training. The training areas include electrical/hybrid technology, heavy and light duty diesel, auto body and collision repair, motorsports technology, and a host of other emerging technologies in the automotive industry.
"Our plans are to operate a fully simulated automotive dealership," says Dr. Jermaine Whirl, President of Augusta Technical College. "The ability to service cars from residents in the community with full CRM systems, feedback from students with coaching from their faculty, and training professionals in the business of the industry is a forward-thinking approach to training the next generation of automotive professionals. We're also looking to add a number of continuing education ASE certification offerings for incumbent workers too. We're thankful to Mr. Hudson for his contribution in making these plans a reality."
Augusta Technical College is also looking to expand into OEM training programs with manufacturers such as Toyota, General Motors, and Honda/Acura. The goal is to bring on new programming that teaches the technician-level curriculum and the business side of running a car dealership, including management of service, parts, sales, and finance departments.
