Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, today announced a donation of $1 million to Augusta Technical College for the development of a new automotive service training center in the Laney Walker neighborhood.
The new facility will quadruple Augusta Technical College’s current training footprint to meet the rising demand for automotive technicians and professionals in the area. Once operational, the center will offer 16 certification programs to approximately 1,270 students annually as the region’s leading automotive training center. Augusta National’s donation will allow the center to open later this year.
“The launch of this training program will prepare a quality workforce for readily available jobs here in Augusta,” said Ridley. “This contribution reflects our commitment to promoting opportunities for residents and families in the Laney Walker community and across the City of Augusta. I commend Augusta Technical College and President Dr. Jermaine Whirl for identifying the need for this exciting program that will have a meaningful impact on economic and workforce development in the area.”
The donation to Augusta Technical College represents Augusta National’s latest effort to support ongoing development in the Harrisburg and Laney Walker community. In 2020, Ridley announced Augusta National would fund the creation of the Lee Elder Scholarships and first women’s golf program at Paine College, which will begin this fall. In addition, he announced a $10 million contribution gifted jointly by Augusta National, AT&T, Bank of America and IBM to the HUB for Community Innovation, which is scheduled to open late spring.
“The Augusta Technical College family is honored and humbled that Augusta National Golf Club has made this significant investment in improving the lives of the students we serve, while helping us transform the workforce learning environment for years to come,” said Augusta Tech President Dr. Jermaine Whirl. “We thank Chairman Fred Ridley and everyone at Augusta National not only for their investment in Augusta Technical College, but their many investments throughout the region.”
