Ogeechee Technical College received a Kia "key to the future" during a special event held Monday at the Kia Georgia Training Center in West Point. Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia Inc. donated 20 all-new Kia Sorentos to the Technical College System of Georgia. The colleges receiving cars were chosen based on the size of enrollment in their automotive programs.
      "The Technical College System of Georgia has been an important partner for Kia Motors Manufacturing from the very beginning," said Mr. K.S. Kim, senior vice president of KMMG, during the presentation ceremony. "Many of the technical colleges have provided support for our endeavor, and most especially Georgia Quick Start has been critical to our success, as they have developed and delivered workforce training that is the new global benchmark in our industry of advanced automotive manufacturing.
      Kia first announced it was going to build an automotive manufacturing facility in Georgia in 2006. The Kia Georgia Training Center, operated jointly by Kia and Georgia Quick Start, opened its doors in 2008, and since then, KMMG has hired more than 1,700 team members who began producing the best-selling, award-winning Sorento last November.
Commissioner Ron Jackson received the donation on behalf of the TCSG. "Students across the state will have the opportunity to experience some of the most sophisticated automotive technology on the market today," Jackson said.
      "The contribution of a new Sorento from Kia will be a great addition to our automotive technology program," said Ogeechee Technical College president, Dr. Dawn Cartee. "Kia's generosity in providing a vehicle to our college will be a benefit to Ogeechee Tech students for years to come."
      Ogeechee Tech's automotive technology program maintains an enrollment of around 50 to 65 students, depending on the quarter. The numbers have been growing over the past few years, according to Cartee.
Allen McDaniel, OTC's automotive technology instructor, was on hand for the presentation ceremony.
      "Having a vehicle with the latest technology available is great for our students. The newest vehicle we have to work on now is a 2004, so having a 2011 will make a huge difference in us being able to train on the latest technology," McDaniel said.
Ogeechee Tech maintains state of the art automotive facilities that allow students to learn all aspects of automotive repair and maintenance.
       "Having corporate support for our College is great, especially when it involves something that will be a direct benefit to our students and the level of training they will receive," Cartee said.
      For more information on automotive technology at Ogeechee Tech, call (912) 681-5500, or visit www.ogeecheetech.edu.