Some of the young people who’ll be wiring Georgia’s homes and businesses for the next several decades had their moment in the sun Wednesday in Clarkesville, as a building dedicated to their education reopened at North Georgia Technical College.
The College celebrated with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at Purcell Hall, where some 76 NGTC students are already studying in the new school year to learn how to build and maintain electrical systems for all purposes. The building—formerly used for Precision Machining training—is 56 years old, but the College, with state funding, renovated and refitted it over the last two years, and officially opened with an hour-long event featuring college administrators and teachers, area politicians and business personalities, and 15 students at various stages of their electrical educations.
State Sen. Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) told the crowd of some 100, “I’d much rather be building schoolhouses and libraries than jails, and I think when people get an education, they have the opportunity to go and do things for themselves and make a future for themselves and for their family.”
Gooch extolled the value of technical education, telling the crowd that the certificates and diplomas issued at NGTC might be the most valuable currently offered in higher education, perhaps even surpassing the four-year academic degrees offered at other colleges and universities.
“I think the future is really going to be more about jobs that require a technical degree and a skilled labor force, and that’s what I want to focus on as I continue my progress in politics,” said Gooch, who is running for lieutenant governor. “We have to provide the workforce for these companies that are coming to and competing in Georgia.
Beyond wiring, watts, and amps
Gary Hosemann, the sole instructor of the electrical systems program, emotionally agreed with Gooch, seeming overcome at times as he addressed the crowd. He exulted about the remaking of the building, which was built in 1969.
“If I had a new building, I wouldn’t feel the same about it,” Hosemann said. Citing the Bible, the 68-year-old teacher, sporting a large cross on his necktie, told the crowd: “I’ve already nicknamed (the building) ‘Esther.’ She’s a lot like me; she’s old, she’s been used, she’s been abused, she’s been repurposed, and she has a lot of character,” Hosemann said.
“I believe she’s the prettiest building on this campus, and I’m so thankful for her. If you know anything about Esther, she was created by God for a very important purpose,” he added.
Hosemann praised his students’ intelligence and said they were learning lessons beyond wiring, watts, and amps: “Who is your customer?” he asked. “Everybody!” He added, “When you incorporate that attitude in your business, I promise you good results.”
Hosemann noted that the program offers material success to many of its graduates, with some earning more than $100,000 a year—even while still apprentices in the trade.
Hosemann sold his own electrical, heating, and air conditioning business, based in Hall County, a short time before coming to teach at the College last year, he said.
A multi-million dollar renovation
The redesign of the 16,941-square-foot building provided additional space for labs, classrooms, office space, storage, and ADA-compliant restrooms. The exterior was modified to blend with other campus facilities.
NGTC President John Wilkinson took the microphone for a few minutes during Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting, primarily to thank the state legislature for supplying the $4.8 million cost of renovating the building. He expressed pride over the College’s status as the oldest state technical college, having opened in 1943.
With a grin, Wilkinson told a story:
“We had t-shirts made with ‘43’ on them. I was out in our auto mechanics program one day, and one young man had a shirt on that had ‘43’ on it, and I said, ‘Son, do you know what that ‘43’ signifies? He said, ‘Sure!’ I said, “What is it?’ He said, ‘Richard Petty’ (the NASCAR racer).”
The president singled out former State Sen. John Foster, 90 years old, in the crowd, who served from 1975 to 1992, including time as chair of the Senate’s Education Committee. Foster had another distinction, which he proudly acknowledged; he is the nephew of Dr. Claude Purcell, after whom the building was renamed. Purcell held various education posts in Georgia, retiring as the State Superintendent of Schools in 1965.
Learning the trade
Three students showed off the workshop where they are learning their trade. The shop features multiple banks of electrical sockets and other equipment, on which students learn and practice their skills. Nothing is attached to an electrical source until it’s ready to be tested, and then there are safety protocols in place to ensure nothing goes wrong, they said.
Student Zion Green, of Atlanta, who is in his third semester, said he plans to “get out, make the world better, and wire some buildings.” He said he’d “love to stay here,” but will move to wherever work takes him.
Jean Pierre Luc Rondeau, 28, of Toccoa, had a previous stint at NGTC. He spent some time in the culinary field and other jobs, including at Fieldale Farms. “I am hoping to find something that will support me better,” he said. He has no experience with the trade, and “I touched my first wire at the beginning of this year,” and is excited to move forward. When he graduates, he plans to move closer to family members in Arlington, Va., where he hears that wages in the electrical trade are high.
Joseph Smith has a legacy in the field. “I was always interested in electrical studies,” he says. “My grandpa was an electrical engineer—he helped build missiles—and I was always interested in it.” Smith hails from Indianapolis but now lives in Buford, having moved to Georgia seven years ago.
Sowing the seeds
After the ribbon-cutting, instructor Hosemann remarked, “I’ve been here a little over a year and I’ve bled, I’ve sweated, and I’ve gotten mad, but I haven’t worked a day since I’ve been here; it’s actually like a ministry. Sowing the seeds with these young men is just great.”
He backed off the last sentence when asked if every one of his students was male, as were all 15 who attended the ribbon-cutting. “No, I didn’t mean that; the two top students in my class are women!”
